The best scrambled eggs in SA I believe are made with cream – not sure for obvious reasons but it is so light and flavourful, I can’t think of any other explanation. There’s a few options but this morning I had them with cubed tomatoes, Danish feta and fresh basil – oh my gosh! D.e.l.i.c.i.o.u.s! Bring me buckets and I’d keep going. These brilliant morsels may be found at KZNSA Café (KwaZulu Natal Society for the Arts) in Glenwood, a café and gallery combined. The other break through is that I believe that I have found the best cup cake in SA! After many many many an arduous tasting I stumbled upon it at KZNSA by giving in to my inner four year old last weekend and having one of theirs for breakfast: the secret is the dough which I believe is Madeira cake. It’s heavy, textured, chock full of flavour and delicately balanced with a subtle icing that’s just sweet enough, just creamy enough and completely luscious. It was absolute foodie heaven ☺ (Unfortunately they are only available on weekends.) The staff are super friendly, requests to change ingredients never get so much as a bat of an eye lid and the atmosphere is of chilled sophistication, do you need any more reasons to drop by?

Well here’s another anyway: A huge pro is that the art in the adjacent gallery is so good! I liked it but more than that, love it or hate it, it seems like there’s a trend in Durban of definite improvement in quality; people are generally dressing more sophisticated, restaurants of KZNSA’s quality are becoming less rare, cars are more expensive and the installations at KZNSA’s gallery has taken a major leap. And I would know! I’ve personally trekked Durban flat in search of quality art only to be more disappointed than not. So as much as I love Durbs, she really has been in need of a bit of spit and polish – it’s so brilliant that it’s finally happening, hooray! For more info check out their site at www.nsagallery.co.za which is quite funky albeit a little seinig with pics. On that happy note, until next we eat bon appétit ☺

Working with juveniles was one of the components of our service, the rest included instituting divorces and help with admin in inquests. My one and only time in juveniles, Bertus, a fellow student and I were waiting in our consultation office in the Magistrates’ Court, discussing the appalling test coming up and alternative options to practicing law. Fridays were slow, we were told. Finally, in walked a bony youth. Eyes very wide, he took his chair on the other side of the desk and Bertus and I started to explain his Constitutional rights as a detainee. Very often, these kids are thrown into jail on a Friday and see no food for the entire weekend. No blankets are given, no parents contacted and at times they are detained with adults. We are supposed to act as a control mechanism to minimize these infringements.

I don’t remember his name but I remember that he was small, he stared fixedly at the desk, answered all our questions with unfailing politeness. You can’t help but think – this kid doesn’t belong here. It wasn’t too long before he broke down crying saying, “Please Madam, please phone my mother.” Of course you’re told to refrain from any personal interaction, specifically not to use your phone for a client’s purposes and of course I looked at the shaking boy and tried to contact his mother at work. No luck. A police officer walked in, laughed at the child and said, “Is this what criminals look like today? How old are you tsotsi?” “Fourteen,” answered the child. The man shook his head in disbelief and left.

When we had completed our line of questioning, the social worker came and let me tell you, the woman was an artist. She asked him about his schooling, his age, his parents and the events that lead up to his arrest.

He ran away from home, he’d been living with ‘friends’.

Where are these friends now, she asked, has he seen them since his arrest?

No. He’d stolen takkies.

What type?

Women’s, a particular brand that wasn’t supposed to be tagged.

How does he know that they wouldn’t be tagged?

His friends told him.

And where were these friends when you were in Edgars?

They were watching from a distance, he took them as his test and walked passed the security guards. There was a noise and then the guard caught him.

“So they set you up and let you take the fall? You must feel like such an idiot?”

She kept on with this style of questioning, a sort of tough love. His skills, she complimented, his errors in judgment, she lambasted. My first reaction was to her tell-it-like-it-is approach was anger and protectiveness because if fate had dealt my cards differently, this could have been me. That delinquent and I had some things in common; absentee parents, a need for attention, a need to belong and few adults who were willing to take the time to give me a tawwe klap or sit me down and point out the bigger picture and the consequences of my actions. On the contrary, people would much rather break you down. And it was this ‘breaking down’ that got me upset.

Soon though, her experience paid off; he wasn’t fourteen, he was sixteen and scared to death of going to jail, so he lied. His lips were burnt and his eyes dilated, he was smoking something. They got hold of his stepfather, he’s wasn’t in school, he’d gotten in a fight and ran away.

Still, when we left, I turned around and smiled at him just to be one less person who judged him. Unlike him, I had different choices if I stayed on the straight and narrow. If I studied I could go to the best schools and travel, the opportunities were there if I chose to use them. He got into fights with his step-father and his uncle and he never felt that anyone backed him up. When you’re poor, this is the only thing you can really cling to and without families, the straight and narrow, may seem like an endless road to no where; a job that pays R1000 a month, if you’re lucky. We expect these kids who live in shanty towns, sleep next to adults having sex, listening to domestic violence, witness crime all around them every day to go to school in a government building, to sit, be quiet and study hard with discipline that is magically conjured out of thin air. Somehow they are supposed to grasp that studying will buy them a home and security when there are no books at home, hell their parents can hardly read never mind teach them the value of it in a way that seems real. I know there are exceptions and thank Heavens for these miracles. But they are few and far between, simply not enough to change the culture in South Africa where filthy rich and dirt poor live next to each other from one of entitlement to one of hard work.

In the face there are still people like Mr. Hanekom and Mrs. Radley who run the law clinics on their own time because they recognize that society is everybody’s responsibility. All around us there are opportunities to make kids like these understand that anything is possible with hard work and dedication: talk about education, show interest, explain that bursaries are available and tell of people who made it from the same circumstances. It comes down to the principle of passing it on. And it could ultimately turn this country around so please try it, we’re worth it.

Moral Fibre Clothing : ldquo;In Honour of the Artistrdquo;

“This is the band that is to bring some change to the negative direction our country’s music scene is spiraling towards, something I will sure be listening to 20 years from now.” – YMag [Popular youth magazine]

KWANI EXPERIENCE is a 6-piece live band hailing from the inner city of Johannesburg South Africa. They are socially aware individuals who pay tribute to old school South Africa in their music and style whilst at the same time representing contemporary South African youth culture. This mix of the past and present to created a new sound, which they call Mudaland funk. Their music and message is a direct result of what happens when conscience individuals with such different backgrounds and personalities get together to create a sound; it becomes so unique that its hard to categorize and best enjoyed live.

Their international popularity is on the increase and they recently made a visit to Norway where we had the pleasure of hanging out with them for a week, trying to understand what drives this band, why they are different and how they are fighting fear through music. We introduce you to the band in this part of the interview, the next part being about their message and lastly about their albums and tours.

Meet the band

Bassist amp; cofounder (Frank Magongwa) from a small village of about 36 families in Limpopo, of the Ndebele tribe.



Soulful actress/lead female vocalist (Nkoto Keitu Malebye) Born in Mpumulanga of the Pulane tribe, lives in Jo´burg now.

Lead rapper/poet (Kwelagobe Sekele) otherwise known as PO Box is from the Pedi tribe.



Keyboardist (Mahlatse Riba), born in Soweto and lives there now.



Drummer amp; studio head (Monde Mkhizwana) from the Xhosa tribe in South Africa.



Industrial-percussionist (recycled amp; light precessions) (Bafana Nhlapo) from the Zulu tribe in South Africa

What is the origin of the name Kwani Experience?

Frank:

Kwani means interrogation in Swahili, it also means, Kwani, from whence, since we all from different cultures and we all get along. Most of the time you find people from these different cultures don´t get along, and this is Kwani Experience, the experience of getting along.

Mathlatse:

The origin of the name Kwani Experience was something decided on when I wasnrsquo;t there. Basically it means lsquo;from whencersquo; you know. Where is the music coming from? Since we all from different tribes and cultures so we have different influences. The music is influenced from so many places so its music lsquo;from whence.rsquo;

How did you all meet and join the band?

Monde:

This is how I met Kwani Experience, I met each member at different times of my life. I knew Bafana, he used to be a gangster! I used to be afraid of him. I was at school with Franky and Keitu but when I joined the band was in 2004 when I was studying at Tech. In Durban and the drummer was leaving, since then Irsquo;m stuck with them, you know, but Irsquo;m getting to travel so its cool.

Bafana:

Me how I met the band, well, as Monde says, but I was not a gangster, I used to hang around with them. Why he says this is we used to imitate the Boys to Men group and we had these friends called Dog Squad so they were popular in Soweto and you would not do anything wrong or mess with them. That is why he thought I was a gangster, I could not hang out with the guys around me as I could not gel with them, coming from Jabulani. I felt more comfortable hanging out with them coming from the same life. I started playing with the band when I saw them live one day, and just picked up my drum and joined them onstage, and never came off.

Mathlatse:

The person I´ve known the longest in the band is Frank, he felt that I was going somewhere, we connected so well and he felt there was a lot we could do. I was shy and scared and uncertain whether I was doing a good job, but he was like, Man!. And six years on we doing it still. He was at school with most of the guys and they met there. He was the centre of this whole movement cause he connected everyone.

P.O:

They asked me to join because I knew most of them and the rapper then asked me to join because he was gonna manage the band.



Who are your major musical influences?

Keitu:

I grew up very closely with my parents you know, my mom, introduced me to Roberta Flack and Donnie Hathaway, from a young age. There was a point when I used to upset her or something and I would come to her singing lsquo;Where is the loversquo; but in all the wrong words, only remembering the tune. My grandmother loved singing and so did my mom when she was young, and now I feel I they are my influences and I sing for them, those women who had dreams but could only live them in their little kitchen, humming away. So I am singing for all the women who came before me and the ones who are going to come after. Raphael Sadiq, Four Seasons from Pretoria are also influences, though there is so much passion and fire in South Africa and many great artists its hard to name them all.

P.O.

My musical influences is everything I grew up listening to much rap and hip+hop when I was in High School. I was kind of musically conscience of what I wanted to listen to, listening to main stream artists like Snoop until I was introduced to underground hip+hop and that was when I started rapping in 1998. Then I stopped listening to hip+hop and got into Ragga, and Reggae and Dub a lot from there it was Jazz. South African Jazz artists like Zim Malana, Moses Zaleka are great. Wu Tang clan and many local rappers such as Asylum Tribe (a big hiphop crew from JHB) are also my favourites.

Bafana:

Me I grew up in a family of musicians, my father was a singer, my mom she used to play Toro Toro like all the indigenous instruments. They used to rehearse in our house in Jublani, their band was called Kingsta brothers was the name of the group. I was 6 years old and used to hide under the bed when they rehearsed and listen to each and everyone. I would be there for a long time and when I started singing they would ask, “Who is that?” and find me hiding under the bed. I left music for a long time and became an athlete, touring and stuff but soon became bored. From there I went back to school and studied music, eventually choosing my own direction, leaving the bass and starting to create a musical sound I call Industrial Percussion. Using drums, enamel cups, and many other recycled things to create a new sound.

Frank:

When I was young I used to hang around the leader of the kraal. He was my grandfather and my biggest influence in my music and the way I write it. Also the sound of natural things, like the sea, crickets, wind, fire, the sound of original stuff is my influence. I am a bass player but I am not influenced by musicians at all, its all about the sound of existence, the sound that is not fabricated is what influences me. The raw inspiration. The inspiration of raw and original sounds of nature.

Monde:

What inspires me is my childhood you know, can I tell the truth? Expressing myself is what inspires me because I grew up in a family where there was much violence, my father was a wife beater so I was always afraid to talk to my friends about it because I thought they would laugh at me. So I always used to bottle things up you know, and then I would explode. So as I grew up my family used to put us into sports, music classes , etc., and music was the only thing were I could just vent everything out and no one would complain you know. That has been happening to me till today, so its an inspiration more than an influence. Musicians I like are Michael Jackson, James Brown, all the South African musicians the list goes on.



Part 2 of the Kwani Interview focuses on their Live Without Fear campaign. We ask what fears they have faced and what Live Without Fear means to them.



www.myspace.com/kwaniexp

Email: kwela.sekele@gmail.com

Management: djbob@djbob.co.za

A specific example that stays in my mind is from a few weeks ago; I was working the merchandise table at a concert in Pretoria, and when I was about to leave at around 1 in the morning, I walked to my car and noticed the security guard still there - I quickly went to get some change and told him Irsquo;d be back, then asked him about a fight that took place outside earlierhellip; This got us talking, and I realized that despite our basic language gap, this was an intelligent, good-hearted person. He began talking about how hersquo;d been working this job as a security guard for a few years, yet still earns only R2700 a month. Now, I understand that not everyone can earn large amounts of money, but it seems very unfair to me that is loyalty to the company is not rewarded, despite his commitment of standing in the rain until 1 in the morning to properly do his job, while a CEO somewhere sleeps comfortable and rakes in millions. Now, this is bordering on a discussion on communism, but I donrsquo;t really want to go there. What Irsquo;m getting at is that Patrick has been working for a company for a few years on on end, he has a wife and kids to support, he is an intelligent, good-hearted man - but he can not work his way up in a capitalist world, simply because of the cards that he has been dealt. The amount of frustration and hopelessness that he feels must be immeasurable. Yet he perseveres, and returns to his job every day, because he has to support his family.

It is people like this that I feel a genuine sense compassion for. And I wish that there was somehow that I couldrsquo;ve helped just that one person - but as I donrsquo;t even work yet for myself I realize that there is absolutely nothing I could do; and I think he knew that as well. And in fact I still think about if therersquo;s any way that I could possibly have helped him out, and not simply in a ldquo;herersquo;s your taxi money to get back homerdquo; but in a long-term manner - and I realized there simply is no way. And for me to feel despair at his situation, I believe, can do no amount of justice to what he must feel every day - working an unrewarding, lack luster job because he made a commitment to his family that he is going to fulfill.

This situation in general is worrying as it is, but what further adds to it is the sense of selfishness and disregard that is exhibited by a large portion of people I meet today; especially those that fall into the adolescent category. Irsquo;ve realized that even if I did everything in my power to help that one person, and if each person in a position to help, decided to help someone else - wersquo;d be getting somewhere. But the problem comes in where people in a position to help canrsquo;t be bothered to - because theyrsquo;re too busy being self-involved, and stuck up on their own issues, that in a broader scheme of things are really irrelevant.

Irsquo;ve noticed a trend amongst adolescents that advocates the ldquo;troubled, deep, poetic, intellectual teenrdquo;. This whole image is encouraged and people somehow think it makes one ldquo;artyrdquo; or introverted - but it doesnrsquo;t. Your depression is one that is based on self-involvement. Nobody cares if you think that you ldquo;relaterdquo; to Sylvia Plath and Virginia Woolf. And what makes this all worse is the idea that somehow loneliness is a worse poverty than that of hunger - how this thought can be remotely acceptable is beyond me.

I understand that depression is a very real thing, and I understand that it is a medical thing - but I also believe that a lot of peoplersquo;s depression is due to a lack of not wanting to make things better for themselves. I believe that it is absolutely inane to compare onersquo;s own inner turmoil to that of someone who is suffering through poverty, starvation and famine, as these people ARE truly hopeless. There are no jobs for them, there is no food or water for them, and there is no help for their children. I think that the pain and suffering that one must feel having to witness your family dying around you is far more severe than the pain one must feel if they think that theyrsquo;re ldquo;lonelyrdquo; as a teenager with many friends, a house over their head etc. If your biggest problem is that you donrsquo;t have a boyfriend and you feel ldquo;lonelyrdquo;, I hope that you say your prayers every night to be thankful for how you have been blessed.

What Irsquo;m essentially getting at is that a lot of ldquo;depressionrdquo; experienced specifically by teens is one that involves the general teenage angst. And I look back on some of the stupid things Irsquo;ve said, and the stupid things I thought I felt, and I truly regret them and look down on that part of my life, but I made a conscious decision to better things for myself as a person - I focused on reading more, eating more healthily, thinking more about my beliefs etc; and in this manner I managed to work things out for myself. I just wish that this was more obvious before, as I wish it becomes obvious to other people - that the pain and ldquo;heartacherdquo; that you feel is one that can be fixed through a conscious decision. If depression is a biological thing, then there are things that you can take action with in order to make things better, if you so choose.

And I feel that this is something that is troubling about today - everyone thinks that no one else has gone through what they have, and that no one has experienced the pain that they have - if people focused less on this and truly put some effort into making themselves happy with who they are, outside of being validated by peers, that we could all focus our energies on something worthwhile. Maybe we could all focus our energies on being nicer to other people and helping out where we can. Wersquo;re living in a very dangerous, troublesome time, and I believe that dwelling on onersquo;s own temporary, stock issues only further complicates things. Further, the selfishness involved in thinking that your issues as a rich, white kid that went to a private school and a good university, are somehow more severe than someone who has literally nothing, and who has to watch his family dying around him, is absolutely astounding, and I think that instead of people rewarding this ldquo;poeticrdquo; suffering and loneliness that people tend to air all over the internet, we should maybe give these people reality checks, and hopefully more people will realize that happiness is reliant on yourself - not some dream person who will fix all your personal issues and make you feel ldquo;wholerdquo;hellip;

I think therersquo;s a lot to be said for choosing those people who surround you on important days. Weddings, for one, but also life in general. I picked my best man because I knew him and, more importantly, knew that he knew me. There was also a bit of a brief from my side; things Irsquo;d be willing to tolerate, and not. There was agreement and we moved on. Suddenly there was one less thing for me to worry about. Hersquo;s my mate, after all, and we had a great time.

Gloriously, I had the opportunity of returning the favour, yesterday. I arranged his bachelors as something which would simply be a good time with mates. If yoursquo;re interested, we all went clay pigeon shooting and ended the day with an evening braai. A good time was had by all; some new experiences for most and lots of great stories. Obviously nothing wrong with a little bit of silliness, but not as an objective.

So, I think there is enough responsibility to go around. Grooms-to-be, pick the people who are going to be your support. Support guys, keep it fun, interesting and uplifting for all. Everyone wins.

Look, I cannot explain or answer why the majority of our record companies are not putting more focus on the web but whatever their reasons, whilst they still focus on selling ldquo;physicalrdquo; product, the SA music industry pie is getting smaller amp; smaller amp; SA artists amp; their record companies will do whatever they have to do to get out there!

I think my shock of all this is how desperate people seem to be to get publicity. Award ceremonies in SA lack credibility amp; this status has been around for a long time. There are rules put in place for these things. Wersquo;d be fools to think other award ceremonies around the world havenrsquo;t had there fair share of controversy but it never seems to be as obvious as the controversy certain SA music awards have achieved. I remember many years ago when I attended my 1st awards show. It all looked so prestigious. That changed once I learned that artists won on unlimited sms votes. It seemed foolish to me as this gave potential to record companies looking to life the profile up by voting, not just a few votes but thousands. Ok, sure…more votes means more money for that specific company running the awards but the bigger picture, less credibility for our small industry worldwide. amp; yet, no one ever says anything. Not artists, music producers amp; companies seeing this happening. Why? Because instead of seeing the bigger picture they want whatever publicity they can get. Truly, in our little country, it may be great publicity but everywhere else they are laughing!

Whatrsquo;s worse was an incident that occurred recently where several artists or their record companies had submitted albums for an awards ceremony. The problem was that these particular albums had been nominated for the same awards the year prior. At 1st, I kept silent about this but then I read an article accusing one of the artists of cheating the awards amp; trying to get his album nominated for the 2nd year in a row when the rules state clearly you are only eligible for one year. Fair enough but why was he left to the slaughter when there were still several other artists in the same position who were still in the nomination running. Let me make it clear, it is not a good sign that this particular awards body had overlooked so many artists amp; albums being nominated 2 years in a row. To my mind it seems pretty simple to refer back to the year priorrsquo;s nominations. Records are easily available including recordrsquo;s of release dates of certain albums. I just Googled all the details amp; within a few moments, I had all the info. It is up to these bodies to make sure this does not happen, lets call it policing for our industry. Similarly, once the article wrapping the initial artist over the knuckles came out, I think the noble thing to do from the various other artists or their respective record companies would have been to step down amp; relinquish their nomination to let other artists eligible be up for nomination. Mistakes like this sadden me in an industry that I love.

As artists, we have no unions amp; no standards. I guess it goes with the lonely musician stereotype. It is greed amp; desperation for work that artists will go below what they deserve for work but in reality by working for a less than acceptable rate, they undermine our industry because corporatersquo;s amp; other people looking to book artists know they can get us for lower rates than we should be charging. amp; once again, without standards, we as part of this South African music industry shoot ourselves in the foot. If we cannot respect out industry, why should the rest of South Africa?

Having said that, the public have their part to play. I often feel that as viewers amp; listeners we accept mediocrity. I remember seeing Westlife performing on an Idols final a few years back. Very exciting I would imagine for the fans, very disappointing to me when they stood on stage amp; mimed on a talent competition searching for vocal excellence. Not a single thing was said about this amp; to me that was unacceptable. amp; of course, Westlife knew they could tow the line because the brainless fans wouldnrsquo;t know any better. Are we really that thoughtless that we canrsquo;t differentiate when someone is miming amp; not? Something should have been said. Another incident I remember was during the reality show I was involved in called Project fame. In that finale, legends Earth, Wind amp; Fire were performing. I was soooooo excited. One of the greatest funk/soul groups of all time. I was a teacher on that particular show amp; so I got the opportunity to meet all the artists who passed through. Knowing EWF so well, 2 things were missing: Maurice White amp; Phillip Bailey. Sorry, but EWF are not EWF without the 2 front men whorsquo;s voices are as distinctive as addidas tracksuit pants. Again, everyone keeps mum. If the fans are willing to accept a mediocre industry, sub-standard performances amp; illegitimate awards then the industry will remain mediocre.

My hope is that one day, we will have a musicians union in South Africa amp; that we lose this ldquo;each man for their ownrdquo; mentality. SA music fans, stand up for your right to music with quality amp; awards that are as credible as the Grammyrsquo;s or the Britrsquo;s! I think itrsquo;s very easy to liken our music industry to SA politics. People are not held accountable for their actions. This is a democracy, Artists amp; fans alike need to make their voices heard. Being silent is only making things worse amp; while the rest of the world moves forward, we stand still.

RJ Benjamin page on Facebook

ldquo;All of Merdquo; is the first video from the prodigious South African talent, Chris Chameleonrsquo;s latest album, Made Available. The video is a collaboration between Brighton based Shotopop and the nice people from WIZZ in Paris. Designed and directed by Shotopop and produced by WIZZdesign, the video features an array of paper sets, a mass of paper cut-outs, some careful hand held camera work, and some nifty 3D touches courtesy of the skilled hands at WIZZ. The result is a mix of mediums, minds and techniques all tied together to form an emotionally charged visual journey set to a hauntingly beautiful vocal performance.

It is with great pride that we present to you ldquo;All of Merdquo;.

ldquo;All of merdquo; by Chris Chameleon from Shotopop on Vimeo.

The video can be viewed on www.shotopop.com

Embed code on Vimeo: http://www.vimeo.com/2162383

Shotopop is represented by WIZZDesign in France

Related sites:

Wizz: www.wizz.fr

Chris Chameleon: www.chrischameleon.com

Editors note : This is an insane video, Chris Chameleonrsquo;s album is about to lift off because of it. Excellent work. Chris I do wish you all the best! Yoursquo;ve been one of the few shining lights of the South African music industry. Oh and Shotopop and WIZZ what can I say but WOW WOW WOW - good luck coping with the influx of requests asking you to reproduce work at this level again, Irsquo;m both envious and somewhat glad Irsquo;m not you.

Recently a US-based blogger was detained in an effort by the Nigerian authorities to intimidate the world’s media. The man, Emmanuel Emeka Asiwe, editor of the Arlington, Massachusetts-based HuhuOnline website is being “questioned over matters of national security” (News24 November 1, 2008).

This follows a crackdown on behalf of the Nigerian government on foreign news agencies (let’s face it, they have been cracking down on the media for a long time, unofficially and unjustifiably) as a result of photos of President Umaru Yarrsquo;Aduarsquo;s teenage son, Musa, posing with an AK-47 assault rifle and holding cash being published on a popular news blog.

I decided to look into the matter and Googled “Foreigners+detained+Nigeria” and came up with a startling number of results. These are results for the first two pages only:

1.    Foreigners detained for illegal cash withdrawal

2.    Three Romanians from the Foreigners Office detained in Nigeria

3.    National Geographic journalist detained in Nigeria

4.    Nigerian authorities have freed four U.S. documentary film-makers and their Nigerian colleague who were detained last week in the violence-prone Niger Delta

5.    British schoolboy detained in Nigeria

6.    International Press Institute (IPI) correspondent hassled and detained in Nigeria

8.    The American head of a Niger Delta peace organisation and two German filmmakers are being detained in Nigeria by State Security on suspicion of what officials are calling espionage and terrorism

9.    Nigerian security forces on Saturday detained four U.S. citizens and a Nigerian who were travelling in the western Niger Delta, the scene of numerous militant attacks, a military commander said

10.    An Israeli construction manager was kidnapped outside his home in Nigeria on Tuesday night, but the regionrsquo;s main militant group said yesterday it was not responsible and offered to help negotiate his release

11.    Armed militants in Nigeria’s southern oil region seized nine foreign hostages, damaged an oil export terminal and blasted a major crude oil pipeline in simultaneous weekend attacks

All the above from: http://www.google.co.za/search?q=foreigners+detained+in+nigeriaamp;ie=utf-8amp;oe=utf-8amp;aq=tamp;rls=org.mozilla:en-GB:officialamp;client=firefox-a

There seems to at least be some degree of growing awareness concerning the situation in Nigeria. The media is a watchdog, and when silenced or censored it serves as a symptom of a vastly undemocratic state. The inability of the press to access Nigeria poses an imminent human rights upset.

International authorities have been sluggish in responding to this threat, instead responding to the incidents as they occur. Traditionally if countries fall foul of human rights violations, censor the media and kidnap foreigners on a rampant and escalating scale travel warning would be issued, the UN would step in and embargos would be perpetuated against the offending government. This is not the case in Nigeria, a country that that is fast becoming another blight on the intervention record of the western world.

No…

I have a degree in politics; it’s not something I brag about…because frankly, it’s worthless. Politics happens on the ground: The beggar and her seven snotty children on Rivonia road; the price of bread; your ability to find employment after school; SABC news; Eskom; the pot holes on Corlett Drive; the price of your mother’s pills…these everyday things are far more political than the presidency. These things are side-effects of a political system. If politics were a bottle of aspirin, these are the things we would read on the package insert.

It makes me wonder, where exactly has society’s moral compass been hiding? I mean they are teaching Third World politics at UCT (on no less than third-year level), while 20km away children are starving in a squatter camp. Politics, you see, is something that you can observe. It is not simply inches of paper containing some historical and economical details that are useless out of context,…it is everything around you.

A while back Cosatu organised a strike, while members of the ANC were marching against justice in the Jacob Zuma trial. These ‘political’ activities saw hundreds of people staying away from the jobs they couldn’t get, and earning less than the pittance they would have earned had they gone to these jobs. The ANC has bred a culture of liberation: ANC supporters are particularly good at striking, protesting and marching and that was all grand back in the old days – I am forced to wonder what the point is today. When is the struggle going to end? When will the expats tell the true freedom fighters that the war is won? When will they employ those British accents to inform the people on the ground that apartheid is over? I am waiting for the day when the ANC declares a march against the sky, and threatens to shoot people who don’t partake.

These strikes are not simply about the price of food, they have more to do with a bunch of politically indoctrinated people who assume that the best way to do anything is to get together and do nothing. See how when you put it logically it makes absolutely no sense. Politics has a hand here, where people suffer and there is nothing to be done. Politics is not only that which allows them to organise strikes, it is also that which they are striking about. In this case, there is none of that ‘biting the hand that feeds you’ crap. Oh no, it is more like ‘shaking the hand that beats you’. It is safe to assume that when a political system allows you to go hungry, and then use what little energy you have left to protest against it…they do not actually care.

I cannot shake the feeling that the political situation in South Africa has become stale, and that democracy has been looking for a job in New Zealand and England for months!

Metal music finds its roots in blues, country, classical and sometimes jazz. The earliest metal was nothing more than folk rock, followed swiftly by the inspirational true metal of Black Sabbath…a decidedly doom variation. Today most metal is pretty pop, unless it’s true brutal death metal or black metal. Black metal tends to be politically and religiously loaded though, so finding the gems can prove hard work. This specific music ‘scene’ has never really taken off in good old SA, not even close to the popularity it achieved in Europe. And that friends, is hardly surprising: our lush green landscape is after all the breeding ground of racial tension, corruption, Robbie Wessels, the Broederbond and the Huisgenoot. In fact, anyone shocked by the failure of abrasive music that often preaches alternative religion, should be shot on account of their profound ignorance.

Recently there has been a spate of try-hards attempting to bring international sensations over to SA and sincerely (and stupidly) expecting to turn a profit. When, in both cases, their plans have failed sincere and (stupid) shock and bereavement (often pettiness) was the order of the day.

Attempt number one was that of a group of ambitious but utter rubbish high school students to bring one of the most acclaimed international death metal acts in existence over to SA. To put it in perspective, that is like expecting Johnny Cash to have a reunion tour in Alexandra. It won’t happen, the immortal and excellent Mr Cash probably thinks Alexandra is some part of Greece, a library perhaps. Their efforts could also, and entirely for my own amusement, be likened to a group of marketers realising that Zombie porn could be most easily marketed in Aliwal Noord. That too, would be a fatal mistake.

These kids who hoped to bring the band over had a rather less than fool proof strategy anyway: Their advertising and marketing strategy (and their market research) consisted entirely of one facebook group. Writing for a public info platform I am sure no one underestimates my appreciation for social media, it is sadly however, not enough to market a huge event such as this. After having a number of facebookers confirm their interest in the event they proceeded to make the necessary arrangement with Computicket and the band. This was, I have no doubt, constructed in the form of a binding contract drawn in ‘crayola and sealed with a pinky promise’. When not enough tickets were sold the concerts had to be scrapped. That is correct, they actually planned to finance a gig with money they had yet to receive, and when received spend that money on a gig that is yet to happen but that people had paid for. They were going to stage a huge event with absolutely no marketing, start up capital or sponsorship and hope to sell it on a large scale in a country where inbreeding has more fans than classical music. It all seems legally suspect and morally scrupulous. Frankly their business model ran something along the lines of idea equals output (lots of money). I am willing to wager that at four years old these kids still wore diapers and spoke in grunts.

Following this retarded campaign and its spectacular failure another more professional group attempted to bring a more popular (more mainstream) band to SA. Their idea actually could have worked. They had it all worked out. In this case Christianity is (mainly) to blame. Of course some additional thinking would have been excellent, but I actually think it might have worked. In this case the venue was situated in an extremely Protestant neighbourhood. I know what you are thinking, my dear readers, it was a bad idea. The sort of idea people hatch when they are spending a night in prison but still suffering the effects of massive amounts of mind-altering substances. So the Christians got a whiff of this event and started snooping. Soon they discovered that the production company intended to bring a band called Devildriver into their comatose town to entertain their pimpled and retarded provincial kids and they had an absolute fit of religious conviction (the worst sort of fit you can have, although epilepsy comes close). Typing in tongues they swiftly mutilated the idea and angry e-mails reached retarded inboxes all over the worst part of our country. It was spectacular. I thoroughly enjoyed it. Bottom line: the production company lost their host venue and some self righteous Christians remembered why Christianity rocks.

Jesus pwned Devildriver111!

The production company lost a host of money, having paid for the ‘Jesus venue’ and suddenly having to book a different venue. They ‘postponed’ the tour. Refunds relevant as of Thursday last week.

Some wise man once told me that prawn tastes excellent, but that prawns are the cockroaches of the ocean (I like the metaphor, I feel that dolphins are the Elton Johns of the ocean). In this case metal is an absolute delicacy, but the suffering underdog when it comes to support in SA. This does not astound me, the only thing bigger than Christ in our country is rugby, rape, Jacob Zuma and Noot vir Noot. I cut my losses. Other people are not as lucky as I, they lack my Zen-like acceptance.

“You could spend your entire life devoted to metal and patiently waiting for an excellent gig in your home country and it would not be a wasted life.” – Flanders

Editors note : Ghandi said we ought to fear the christians, now look what theyrsquo;ve gone and done!

As I found out when I interviewed Simon from  Taxijam this was an initiative which, honoured the artist and did so on a shoe string budget with little more investment than simply an immense passion to put together a collection of once off unique musical performances.

Clare Thomas put me in touch with the  Taxijam crew, but more importantly to you and I took all of the photos of the taxijam gigs. I find it very difficult to truly immerse myself in othersrsquo; experiences, for instance your friend wanting to share with you his photographic account of his epic journey through the tip of France (sterile vicarious tourism really) but Clarersquo;s shots of the gigs are different. They crawl into the musical bubble of the performance, taking shots of the artist as they experience satisfaction / concentration / consternation and connection with those sitting nearest him / her.

Clearly Moral Fibre had no choice but to find out more about this venture!

What prompted you to start such an initiative?

I had been following a similar website in the UK called the Black Cab Sessions, and was amazed at how performers reacted in such an intimate environment. Each and every performance was entirely democratic, in that there were no expensive stages or creative lighting, which made it possible to watch multiple musicians in exactly the same context. I thought the idea would translate quite nicely into an African concept – and the acoustics in a Toyota Hi-ace has got nothing on those London Cabs….! The idea to set up this project was also largely based on the fact that, to date there is no single repository of South Africa creative talent online – there are various websites pertaining to particular genres but not one point of entry where someone can view new (and old) artists in a unique environment. We are by no means an authority on South African music by any stretch, we are simply a small slice of whats out there.. The other issue which works in our favour are the low production costs of each clip, which allows us to shoot multiple bands and keep content new and updated on a regular basis..

How did you make connections with the artists yoursquo;ve got lined up for the taxijam gigs? Was it word of mouth or sending out cunningly worded emails to promoters?

Most of the artists we met through mates, or mates of mates – in some cases we just called them up pitched the idea and almost everyone was up for it…

How has the support from South African marketers / brands been - have you found funding this project easy or very difficult?

Both myself and Richard (my partner on this project and Film Director) have fulltime 24/7 jobs so this has been entirely self funded and done after hours and when we can sneak out from work… As I said earlier the production costs are low so funding has not been a big issue, we pay the drivers for their time and hire a few pieces of equipment here and there. And funny enough we have already had a quite a bit of interest from companies who are keen to get involved, of which we have been very grateful but at this stage we are keen to go it alone until we have found our feet and know where we are going as a brand…

What forms of marketing are you currently using to promote the gig? (Free viral marketing on facebook / websites etc. or trad. marketing?)

At this stage entirely word of mouth and we have posted everything on facebook and youtube – our website is currently under construction and will be going live mid to late November (www.taxijam.co.za )

Do you think that this has the potential to become a yearly event or will it be a  once off?

This is an entirely a labour of love, and we will continue to shoot bands that we think are rad, but at the same time there needs to be a link back to artists themselves, this is as much a showcase for them as it is for taxijam and we would like to maintain that going forward…Plans going forward…not sure – would be great to take a few months off and shoot taxijam Africa…who knows?

Being the resident pessimist I was quite skeptical of who might sign up to play such gigs. Well lets just say I was pleasantly surprised, to name but a few : Bed on Bricks, Farryl Purkiss, The Dirty Skirts, Taxi Violence, Kolo Novo Movie, 340ml, Zebra amp; Giraffe, Cabins in the Forrest, Graham John Mrray and more!!

This is true commuter - culture, yoursquo;re treated to some of the best music on offer in South Africa within a true South African lsquo;community pilchards canrsquo;.

taxijam will be in your neighbourhood soon - keep your ears to the tarmac.

For more taxijam videos go to : http://www.youtube.com/user/TAXIJAMTUNES and or search for them on facebook.

Should you wish to find out more about taxijam or the gig - photos I mentioned contact Clare Thomas directly at clarelouisethomas@gmail.com or give her a call on +27 78 430 4730

As I found out when I interviewed Simon from  Taxijam this was an initiative which, honoured the artist and did so on a shoe string budget with little more investment than simply an immense passion to put together a collection of once off unique musical performances.

Clare Thomas put me in touch with the  Taxijam crew, but more importantly to you and I took all of the photos of the taxijam gigs. I find it very difficult to truly immerse myself in othersrsquo; experiences, for instance your friend wanting to share with you his photographic account of his epic journey through the tip of France (sterile vicarious tourism really) but Clarersquo;s shots of the gigs are different. They crawl into the musical bubble of the performance, taking shots of the artist as they experience satisfaction / concentration / consternation and connection with those sitting nearest him / her.

Clearly Moral Fibre had no choice but to find out more about this venture!

What prompted you to start such an initiative?

I had been following a similar website in the UK called the Black Cab Sessions, and was amazed at how performers reacted in such an intimate environment. Each and every performance was entirely democratic, in that there were no expensive stages or creative lighting, which made it possible to watch multiple musicians in exactly the same context. I thought the idea would translate quite nicely into an African concept – and the acoustics in a Toyota Hi-ace has got nothing on those London Cabs….! The idea to set up this project was also largely based on the fact that, to date there is no single repository of South Africa creative talent online – there are various websites pertaining to particular genres but not one point of entry where someone can view new (and old) artists in a unique environment. We are by no means an authority on South African music by any stretch, we are simply a small slice of whats out there.. The other issue which works in our favour are the low production costs of each clip, which allows us to shoot multiple bands and keep content new and updated on a regular basis..

How did you make connections with the artists yoursquo;ve got lined up for the taxijam gigs? Was it word of mouth or sending out cunningly worded emails to promoters?

Most of the artists we met through mates, or mates of mates – in some cases we just called them up pitched the idea and almost everyone was up for it…

How has the support from South African marketers / brands been - have you found funding this project easy or very difficult?

Both myself and Richard (my partner on this project and Film Director) have fulltime 24/7 jobs so this has been entirely self funded and done after hours and when we can sneak out from work… As I said earlier the production costs are low so funding has not been a big issue, we pay the drivers for their time and hire a few pieces of equipment here and there. And funny enough we have already had a quite a bit of interest from companies who are keen to get involved, of which we have been very grateful but at this stage we are keen to go it alone until we have found our feet and know where we are going as a brand…

What forms of marketing are you currently using to promote the gig? (Free viral marketing on facebook / websites etc. or trad. marketing?)

At this stage entirely word of mouth and we have posted everything on facebook and youtube – our website is currently under construction and will be going live mid to late November (www.taxijam.co.za )

Do you think that this has the potential to become a yearly event or will it be a  once off?

This is an entirely a labour of love, and we will continue to shoot bands that we think are rad, but at the same time there needs to be a link back to artists themselves, this is as much a showcase for them as it is for taxijam and we would like to maintain that going forward…Plans going forward…not sure – would be great to take a few months off and shoot taxijam Africa…who knows?

Being the resident pessimist I was quite skeptical of who might sign up to play such gigs. Well lets just say I was pleasantly surprised, to name but a few : Bed on Bricks, Farryl Purkiss, The Dirty Skirts, Taxi Violence, Kolo Novo Movie, 340ml, Zebra amp; Giraffe, Cabins in the Forrest, Graham John Mrray and more!!

This is true commuter - culture, yoursquo;re treated to some of the best music on offer in South Africa within a true South African lsquo;community pilchards canrsquo;.

taxijam will be in your neighbourhood soon - keep your ears to the tarmac.

For more taxijam videos go to : http://www.youtube.com/user/TAXIJAMTUNES and or search for them on facebook.

Should you wish to find out more about taxijam or the gig - photos I mentioned contact Clare Thomas directly at clarelouisethomas@gmail.com or give her a call on +27 78 430 4730

Multiculturalism in the normative sense is the endorsement of communal diversity. Those in favour cite the right of different communal groups to recognition and respect as well as the alleged benefits to the larger society of moral and cultural diversity. As an Afrikaans person – paradoxically perhaps – I love the colour of my culture and want it to be respected as I respect and welcome other cultures. I could not be a more fervent proponent of this train of thought if I invented it.

Still, let’s be practical – it just doesn’t seem to be working. What is a right unless it can be enforced? If anything has been learnt from our vaunted Constitution, it is that pretty words on paper that are not given force are not only patronizing – the beautiful sentiments expressed therein become virtually irrelevant in the face senseless violent crime. Critics of multiculturalism like Amartya Sen have gone further to say that not only are its sentiments empty words but by emphasizing differences instead of similarities one divides communities further.

The alternative is working towards homogeneity. The idea of a single human race is a bit depressing if you understand what you loose but take that beautiful sentiment and weigh it up against a life, what would you choose? Every day sons are murdered and daughters raped and murdered – what would you sacrifice for a peaceful future? Besides, don’t those guys look cool? (see pic taken at Maponya Mall) So, everyone repeat after me “I am not an individual”…No? Yeah it blows. Think I’ll leave world peace to the UN – they’ve been failing at it for decades, this was just my first try.

A hilarious, entertaining black female group with a message to deliver.

Queendom is the name of a live entertainment group from Norway which consists of five talented black women. They are first generation Norwegians, with mixed backgrounds, collectively representing Ethiopia, Uganda, Trinidad, Nigeria and Gambia. Being of mixed descent, living in Norway and having the passion for drama, drew these women together.

Having all met through African Youth in Norway, Queendom began in 1999, performing Queendom on the Rocks, a cabaret show which received good critical reviews. Since then they have collaborated and performed in many more shows, with artists like Louis Mhlanga from South Africa. Ten years later, they are still entertaining crowds whilst delivering the message, Be proud of your heritage and celebrate your culture.

Their style of music and entertainment is fresh and witty, with each member drawing on life experiences to create original content for their stage shows. You could expect blues and soul, highlife, soukouss, reggae, hip-hop sounds and slam poetry all in one show. Humour and satire are tools used to encourage dialogue based on their message of celebrating your heritage. All this combined have created an eclectic sound with a strong on stage presence that has cemented their popularity with the Norwegian crowd.

Their popularity is set to grow further as the group are preparing to tour a few European countries in 2009. With time comes evolution, and the group having previously performed in Norsk, have begun working on shows in English with the hope of reaching out to a wider audience. Cutting their teeth at Nobel Peace prize functions, many festivals and corporate gigs they are ready to take the world and save it from boredom, Queendom style. Having recently released their very own book, this dynamic group has their eyes set on conquering the world and uniting it through great entertainment, and an even greater message.

You can visit their website. Drop them a line on Facebook or join their group for details of shows.

A hilarious, entertaining black female group with a message to deliver.

Queendom is the name of a live entertainment group from Norway which consists of five talented black women. They are first generation Norwegians, with mixed backgrounds, collectively representing Ethiopia, Uganda, Trinidad, Nigeria and Gambia. Being of mixed descent, living in Norway and having the passion for drama, drew these women together.

Having all met through African Youth in Norway, Queendom began in 1999, performing Queendom on the Rocks, a cabaret show which received good critical reviews. Since then they have collaborated and performed in many more shows, with artists like Louis Mhlanga from South Africa. Ten years later, they are still entertaining crowds whilst delivering the message, Be proud of your heritage and celebrate your culture.

Their style of music and entertainment is fresh and witty, with each member drawing on life experiences to create original content for their stage shows. You could expect blues and soul, highlife, soukouss, reggae, hip-hop sounds and slam poetry all in one show. Humour and satire are tools used to encourage dialogue based on their message of celebrating your heritage. All this combined have created an eclectic sound with a strong on stage presence that has cemented their popularity with the Norwegian crowd.

Their popularity is set to grow further as the group are preparing to tour a few European countries in 2009. With time comes evolution, and the group having previously performed in Norsk, have begun working on shows in English with the hope of reaching out to a wider audience. Cutting their teeth at Nobel Peace prize functions, many festivals and corporate gigs they are ready to take the world and save it from boredom, Queendom style. Having recently released their very own book, this dynamic group has their eyes set on conquering the world and uniting it through great entertainment, and an even greater message.

You can visit their website. Drop them a line on Facebook or join their group for details of shows.

Written by Mzansi Madame

Fantastic. Julius Malema you are Moral Fibrersquo;s dullard of the week and we salute your attempt to the first mentally lsquo;impairedrsquo; special politician.

Plucked straight from :

http://www.iol.co.za/index.php?set_id=1amp;click_id=13amp;art_id=vn20081024054110671C920927

So should you wish to attach a threatening letter, please go to the iol post and do so there. I donrsquo;t make up the news, I digest it and comment on it.

A lot of different names cropt up. Thys Lourens, Frik Du Preez, Danie Roussouw, Kevin Keegan, Luis Hamilton and many others including Madonna, Gwynith Paltrow and Joel Stransky (yes he of the nasal twang and new found affinity for the Lions - I quote ldquo;Errol Rose is a Springbok, there is no doubt in my mind he is of Springbok quality and beyond - a great, great player.rdquo;) What are they feeding you Joel? It doesnrsquo;t sound kosher to me! Just for the record, Springbok is not a four letter word but puke is as is cool, hand and of course Luke. A quick quiz - was his dad called ldquo;Cheekyrdquo; because of the brownies he kept showing everyone?

But back to the Bullrsquo;s loose forwards as opposed to the Bullrsquo;s loose women, Bullrsquo;s guitar strings, Bullrsquo;s shoelaces and of course Bullrsquo;s brandy bottle tops. ldquo;Wait till Saturday and you will find outrdquo; I heard my uncle from Bapsfontein telephath me. ldquo;Shutupyourfacerdquo; I telephathed him back. I am for the record a completely unbiaised Sharkrsquo;s supporter.

We do not wear blinkers in the Zulu Kingdom. We canrsquo;t afford them and even if we could we wouldnrsquo;t. We see and tell things the way they are. The Bulls are OK in their own corral but a bit China Shoppish everywhere else. The Sharks on the other hand, excluding a backhand are the complete finished article.  No flaws, weak hindquarters or exposed balls. Just a great rugby team thats time has come.

Even Steve Hofmeyer has bought a home in KZN where he wrote his memoirs and other things. The omen is there. The rugby gods have spoken.

Sharks win curry cup. Bulls win curry cup. Who will win the curry cup?

I live in Soweto. In a place called Molapo. I love Molapo. It is not a violent place. It is actually filled with amazing people. I am not planning to move away anytime soon. Molapo, however, is known for being a home for some of the ‘best’ trainsurfers in Soweto. Man, you should see the amazing stunts they perform on moving trains! (video attached).

The trainsurfing thing is not just about the drugs you know. It is a search for love and the yearning to belong to some kind of organised group. Dangerous as it is, it requires discipline and commitment – something that encourages them to stretch into extraordinary beings. At least in this world, they are not insignificant anymore. Their need for recognition and power is fed and they gain a sense of self-worth and status. They just want to get something out of their not so long-term existence. They are tired of the illusion of life. They rebel. They show life and death (which kinda feel the same) the middle finger and blow whistles to the rush of the surf.

There has been a couple of trainsurfers’ funerals in my hood. They do not mourn you know, they celebrate. They come in numbers too. They surf the bus all the way to the graveyard. The families grieve, crying for their sons’ blood evaporated by the sun off the railway lines – the minced flesh, the traumatising sight. Surfers dance, sing and chant to their heroes as they fantasize about their own deaths.

Soweto… is not all gloom and doom as some people believe. I repeat - I love that place! There is life there. You will never get a similar vibe anywhere else that you get from Soweto. The culture, the people, the buzz, the lingo, the fashion, the conversations, the loud musichellip;

They did not choose to be born. They did not choose their parents. They did not choose their circumstances, their country, and their skin colour. They feel stuck. They feel like that, from the day they were born, they were never given a chance (or a choice). They need to feel they are in control of something…anything!

What do I do or say to make them stop? They are so amazing. All of that energy and faith in doing something that scary is unbelievable. How do I tell them that they can channel that energy somewhere else? Where would they start? Everything else that is considered decent by society demands them to have some sort of economic resource. Everything else that is decent is run by someone who looks down on them, demanding obedience and expecting them to beg. How do I tell them that, it is possible to make it irrespective of the circumstances they were born into? How do I stop them? What deal can I make with them? What do I have to offer that will make them feel like, for a moment, they are alive?

Soweto Train Surfing

My column was read, in its digital form, and it was translated into cold hard fact by those who read it. Had I the foresight to embellish a few bits of the story to make my point heard in the piece, then perhaps what I’m about tell you would resonate far more profoundly. You would have had to reevaluate your ability to process a “fact” and thus my suggestion that “citizen journalism itself, poses the greatest threat to ‘factual’ accounts of newsworthy events”.

Humans are adept at picking out inconsistencies. For example should a westerner would walk into a doctors office and find the the doctor wasn’t male. That the good doctor was wearing casual clothes, had nailed her framed MA History degree to the wall and had a tattoo of a dragon peeking out of her strappy t-shirt the westerner would be out of there. So fast in fact that perhaps even the terminal illness, gluttony, which the Westerner had acquired would be forgotten and replaced with a sudden desire to simply flee.

Furthermore, imagine a bank which had as its slogan “we break all the rules”. You would find it would be the proverbial broken bank rambling about yesteryear whilst huffing glue in the gutter, imagining clientele who were more receptive to a bank who took banking less seriously.

We are prone to our acceptance of norms, of rules which govern our expectations of those institutions which have an immediate impact on our lives. The media, a self regulating body, perhaps in South Africa a regulated - self - regulating body is no different. We, the audience have been socialized to accept that our news stems from sources external to our immediate conversations, sources which we assume have first hand accounts of the news to document and substantiate the information which they provide us. This information is not objective, let us not fool ourselves into thinking that even the most rationale, or logical among us have an objective eye. We simply cannot. Our thoughts and perspectives are “phrased by our social capital” and within the locale or bounds of our habitus i.e. a set of dispositions which generate practices and perceptions accrued through the process of maturation and an on going process of value - assimilation.

Social media experts promote the notion of a decentralized news media, suggesting that the cognitive potential of a shared and interactive news media completely out weighs that of a regulated and more centralized reporting body. Such efforts appear at least at a superficial level to promote sharing of information and are thus perceived of as the future of media, journalism and fact distribution. Stripped of the liberalistic notions of knowledge sharing, such information ought to be critically evaluated. My question, which I’ve yet to resolve, is by whom? Who would regulate the shared information, to ensure that, what we interpret as fact is indeed fact. As I’ve suggested for those who read my blog on Kennedy Gihanda, the information was first hand and factual and as I only scraped the surface of already available news not all that new, nor all that factual.

The obvious answer to my question, should I invoke the voice of a ‘new’ media journalist would be that the audience will keep the integrity of the so called ‘news’ we receive online in check. The audience will either endorse a particular news media site with readership or not and thus this shall act as a regulating force.

This does beg a few glaringly obvious questions.

1. To what extent is the audience able to filter fact from fiction?


2. To what extent should news media incorporate the principles of “citizen journalism”?


3. Who shall regulate the ethical principles governing citizen journalism?


4. Who shall ensure the credibility of the news / fact which we assimilate online?


5. To what extent shall opinionated blogging supersede the value of real investigative journalism?


6. Will journalism as a paid vocation end as we know it and be replaced by journalist bloggers blogging for the likes of Thought Leader?


7. Should journalists move over to the online medium, how will they earn their keep? Will advertising on personal blogging platforms fund new media journalism, or will traditional news media sites move online and retain their advertising clientele as a means of paying for their freelancers?

I have my own opinions on each of the points above, but would far rather here yours. Please leave your thoughts, comments etc.

So, if yoursquo;re looking for a great place to eat on a tight budget in johannesburg you might want to try :

1. The GuildHall
   

   which is on the corner of Market and Harrison street. Their prices are reasonable and the food is good, but yoursquo;re afforded the opportunity to lunch in a place which you can tell has seen it all, perhaps for some it may have seen far too much but this is definitely an experience you cannot miss. Try their pizzas which, although not made in wood burning oven, are loaded with toppings and cost around R30 to R35. The few times Irsquo;ve been there Irsquo;ve had the mexican pizza and a Windhoek Draft, a bloody perfect way to end off a tough day at work.



2. Then therersquo;s the ldquo;shop around the cornerrdquo; ironically perched on the corner of Main Road and Simmonds Street in the CBD. Its the one stop shop for cheap sandwiches and anything else you might not have the energy to walk to get. The food is basic but basic is good when yoursquo;ve arrived at work sans kiddies lunch box and yoursquo;re watching your colleagues gorge themselves on their prepared breakfasts.


3. The Zoo Lake Bowls Clubrsquo;s prego roll and chips is a killer deal, for R25 you get brown steak like meat in a prego roll and greasy chips accompanied with a firey chilli sauce, which you have to ask for. The beer is incredibly cheap, a draft poured straight from the tap costs about R10 and theyrsquo;ve recently started stocking Windhoek Draft, so in my books theyrsquo;re clear winners in the bargain eating stakes. Irsquo;ve not died yet so I am a walking testament to what you are able to safely eat on a tight budget.


4. The GoGo Bar in Newtown offers a liquid menu which will perhaps become the next big thing for the urban - indie - kid looking for a place to spend his her night making his / her way through a crowd wearing a pair of toit jean pants.


5. The Ant in Melville has tons of great specials - which appear to change perpetually. The pizza there is great, and the setting, an escape from the rush of Johannesburg has ensured upon many occasions that my sanity remains intact.

Then therersquo;s Durban, which if you know where to go provides you with a continuous supply of gastronimically challenged eating establishments perfect for your shoe string budget, here are but a few examples of some of the more respectable eateries :

1. Spiga Drsquo; Oro is the best place to begin and end your next drinking binge. The food is great, more importantly to those who select their meals based upon price it provides ample food for a reasonable price. When I go, I get a margerita and ask for extra Parma Ham and Rocket, washed down with a double espresso. You can eat decently for under R100 a head at Spiga Drsquo; Oro and have an epic time judging those fashionable folk in your vicinity.


2. Johneyrsquo;s / Jonnies / Sunrise Chip nrsquo; Ranch which has potentially shut its doors and reopened them under a different name whilst I pen this handy guide has some of the best chip roti rolls in the country. The proportions of which might suggest the unexpected appearance of a small rotund boy in your roti roll, however such a surprise is always welcomed because on a budget protein is protein is protein.


3. The Glenwood Spar in the Glenwood Village Shopping Center has the most amazing selection of ready to eat sandwiches which for the average student become a part of your staple diet, when in doubt grab the Chicken Mayo Cheese Roll as it costs about R10 and will suffice for a lunch and if need be a lupper (lunch amp; supper). On Saturday afternoons yoursquo;ll find them making boerewors rolls outside and at a resonable R12 theyrsquo;re definite winners!

There are so many more, and Irsquo;m wating for the expert, one Peter Orsmond to add to the list of Durban Cheap Eatery list.

If you have any more to add to the list or if you wish to create such a list for another city in Jozi add your recommendations to the comments list.

Movies, vintage posters and a great revival of the pin-up girl craze serve as plaques on which famous faces get to relive their lives in this age. Looking at these plaques closely though, I noticed a stamp in each cornerhellip; the American flag. I am not American, I want to know what was Africa doing at this time?

While Marilyn Monroe was scratching her Seven Year Itch, South Africa was experiencing apartheid, Africa was experiencing post-colonialism and generally had more important things to worry about. And worry is what people did. There was a chronic case of worrying. It was a plague that was spread by apartheid and oppression and of the many negatives symptoms that arose, one good thing did, Drum magazine.

Drum danced through the African continent, on legs of freedom of speech and to the music of a vibrant urban culture. It became the mother that fed the need for journalistic expression, allowing a new generation of black writers to talk about the conditions of their lives. Writers such as Henry Nxumalo, who risked his life exposing the brutal nature of the South African apartheid regime and many others. (Watch DRUM, starring Taye Diggs - based on the real life accounts of Drummagazine writer Henry Nxumalo.)

Not to leave a promising subject though, were there African pin-up girls? Searching for one was as hard as finding a Bush supporter. But even while looking there came the answer, again Drum. The magazine had been the voice of the people, in more ways than one. It featured fashion, great ads, and the African Beauty. No blonde hair and what I call the pin-up ldquo;oops!rdquo; face here.

Coming back to the search, I came across a treasure on Flickr, by Amaah who had collected pics from Ghana´s Drum publications and here they are! Enjoy and check out the Drum Decade book from Amazon to find out more about this great era in Africa.

Drum Decade book review:

The Drum Decade: Stories From The 1950s is an anthology of original stories of South African life chosen from the pages of Drum magazine. Originally published in the 1950s, these literary stories are written by black writers in a gritty and hardy city style that has endured for decades and celebrates cherished freedom. Fresh, vivid, unique, and exciting to read, The Drum Decade is a superior anthology embracing the cultural history of a nation and highly recommended reading for South African Studies supplemental reading and academic reference collections.

Movies, vintage posters and a great revival of the pin-up girl craze serve as plaques on which famous faces get to relive their lives in this age. Looking at these plaques closely though, I noticed a stamp in each cornerhellip; the American flag. I am not American, I want to know what was Africa doing at this time?

While Marilyn Monroe was scratching her Seven Year Itch, South Africa was experiencing apartheid, Africa was experiencing post-colonialism and generally had more important things to worry about. And worry is what people did. There was a chronic case of worrying. It was a plague that was spread by apartheid and oppression and of the many negatives symptoms that arose, one good thing did, Drum magazine.

Drum danced through the African continent, on legs of freedom of speech and to the music of a vibrant urban culture. It became the mother that fed the need for journalistic expression, allowing a new generation of black writers to talk about the conditions of their lives. Writers such as Henry Nxumalo, who risked his life exposing the brutal nature of the South African apartheid regime and many others. (Watch DRUM, starring Taye Diggs - based on the real life accounts of Drummagazine writer Henry Nxumalo.)

Not to leave a promising subject though, were there African pin-up girls? Searching for one was as hard as finding a Bush supporter. But even while looking there came the answer, again Drum. The magazine had been the voice of the people, in more ways than one. It featured fashion, great ads, and the African Beauty. No blonde hair and what I call the pin-up ldquo;oops!rdquo; face here.

Coming back to the search, I came across a treasure on Flickr, by Amaah who had collected pics from Ghana´s Drum publications and here they are! Enjoy and check out the Drum Decade book from Amazon to find out more about this great era in Africa.

Drum Decade book review:

The Drum Decade: Stories From The 1950s is an anthology of original stories of South African life chosen from the pages of Drum magazine. Originally published in the 1950s, these literary stories are written by black writers in a gritty and hardy city style that has endured for decades and celebrates cherished freedom. Fresh, vivid, unique, and exciting to read, The Drum Decade is a superior anthology embracing the cultural history of a nation and highly recommended reading for South African Studies supplemental reading and academic reference collections.

Chief purveyor of awesomeness is in my opinion Reuben’s Sandwich Shop on Rudd road, Illovo - in the Post Office Center. The black and white interior is cool and relaxed but because Reubens is owner run it has that warm welcome that makes you want to sit back and chill out. So what could possibly be so revolutionary – yes, I mean revolutionary – that could set this dog so far apart from the rest? It’s their magic mustard, that’s what. Sure the vienna is great. The rolls are always fresh and they come toasted – a very important detail to us connoisseurs/addicts. But the mustard…it’s all in the mustard. It’s sweet, as behoves a proper dog-mustard but it also has a definite bite. Home-made, it’s also creamy and single handedly, the mustard elevates this Dog to another level. I hopefully asked one of the owners, Dianne, whether they sell it; she just smiled her ‘you wish’-smile and said they love having us back so unfortunately no. Wall Street – take note, this is how you corner the market.

Drinks that definitely deserves mention is Reuben’s good coffee, rich chocolate milk shake and the hot chocolate (don’t speak of it too freely but rumour has it that they use real Lindt chocolate – such temptation would sway the Vatican…wait, the Vatican has been swayed so far it’s fallen over…maybe Mother Theresa then, were she alive of course – well you get the point). As to the rest of their fare - it is said that their sandwiches are brilliant and their burgers magnificent (Vincent loves it) but I honestly couldn’t tell you; every time I have go the thought has not crossed my mind to try something else – nothing could beat the Best Dog in Johannesburg.

So.

The Venue - Capellos Sandton (Beside Edgars on the Second Level of the Sandton Mall)

The venue rocks; a definite improvement. First and foremost as a venue for presentations it worked well, the staff could be a little quieter but then that will come with time. Garsen from Capellos seems to actually thrive on his interaction with geekdom and I commend him for that - it is a selfless act suffering through the manic conversations of a nerdling who cannot maintain his attention, his eye contact or his wit. Nevertheless the food was great, I had a chicken mayo tramezzini and a couple of beers (served in chilled glasses) the food was actually better than Irsquo;ve tasted it at Capellos. Very surprising when you consider that over one hundred guests were badgering the waiters.

The presentations :

Jeff Fletcher, ISLabs - ldquo;Making the SA Internet betterrdquo; amp; Don Packett, THUNK Perpective Lab - ldquo;The value of perspectiverdquo;.

Jeff Fletcher took us through  ISLabslsquo; contribution to the internet with the help of Mike who pointed him in the right direction with probing questions. The questions related primarily to  ISLabs a crowd-sourced ideation initiative which aims at gathering ideas and where necessary implementing them.

I think what struck me most was that they appeared to be walking the talk, here was a company which spoke - perhaps not very enthusiastically on the night - about changing lives, investing money into outreach programmes helping out Ph.D students etc.

Although the conversation felt a little too much like the ldquo;aboutrdquo; page of the  ISLabs site, it was simple, to the point and gave me all the information I needed to spark my own interest in submitting my ideas to ISLab. A job well done then.

Next up was Don Packett who took us through a very masculine perspective of perspective, ironically. His presentation itself fell into the trap of trying to say too much; without saying ldquo;itrdquo; at all. The presentation itself was a learning experience, but as it was utilized to make a profound point about the manner in which THUNK Perpective Lab actually went about their business.

I felt the presentation lacked coherence, most of the crowd (knowing as SaulK suggested about crowd-sourcing innovation and acquiring an alternate perspective) didnrsquo;t require a refresher course on those faces / innovations already too familiar too them. Instead we needed to hear about Thunk Labrsquo;s implementation of said ground breaking approaches to innovation and how THUNK Perpective Labrsquo;s solutions integrate the very interesting theoretical models behind crowd sourcing, the ldquo;we-thinkrdquo; model, complexity theory and standard qualitative market research.

Don my advice to you is to stick to what you know, you seem passionate about the subject and you speak very well. Ditch the explanations and focus on a few key points which provide the structural framework for your concluding ldquo;sliderdquo; the ThunkLab perspective on alternative consumer research.

My thoughts :

So my third 27dinner, what are my thoughts thus far? Perhaps my biggest concern is that speakers donrsquo;t seem to want to challenge the audience, they focus instead on their own companies / what theyrsquo;re doing. Of course its a great opportunity to send up your own business or your creative solutions, but I think the platform warrants something more than a business plug. I was chatting to Gustav Bertram the other day, and we shared our views on open - source education, wouldnrsquo;t a presentation from Mr Betram on the subject be interesting? Yes its a wee bit more serious than a lighthearted creds - presentation of your business but we are all gathered in a single spot at the same time, why not use the opportunity to inspire and create new ideas?

Why not move away from viewing the world as a the blogosphere as we so often do e.g. the epic iphone launch in the wake of a new president and cabinet, and focus instead on how to utilize our talents as a collective to better the lives of others.

Thanks again to team Cerebra for organizing the event, to Garsen from Capellos for allowing us to use the venue and to my two partners in crime Heidi and Saul thank you for the epic-entertainment!