Frugal Fennel at Sloppy Sams, the latest of the bi-monthly Geek Dinners, was fun. The venue worked well, and the upstairs tables added a theatrical element. The food was pretty bad value, no, strike that, abysmal value for money though. R130 and the ‘main course’ veggie option consisted of a few baked potatos and… wait,… Continue reading Frugal Fennel at Sloppy Sams
The nuclear tooth fairy
I came across a Cape Times today, with a flurry of letters in support of nuclear power. I fired off a quick letter in response, but here is a slightly expanded version, as the constraints of the letters page aren’t the best place to discuss this properly. Besides all of its other problems, nuclear power… Continue reading The nuclear tooth fairy
Apocalypse now and the stock market crash
I tend to spend too much of my time reading, and too much of that reading economics articles. Two articles caught my attention today, one from the conservative Economist, and the other from the slightly more extreme News Target. The first, titled The Coming Financial Collapse of America (and Why Today’s Market Bloodbath is Only… Continue reading Apocalypse now and the stock market crash
Beware Facebook!
A recurring theme in the news recently has been dire warnings from those in the recruitment industry warning of the consequences of posting too much personal information on social networking sites such as Facebook. Ina van der Merwe, chief executive officer of South Africa’s largest background screening company, Kroll, from an article in today’s IOL… Continue reading Beware Facebook!
Venda Wikipedia progress
While researching the latest figures for my Wikimedia presentation at *Camp, I was extremely pleased to discover that the Venda Wikipedia had reached 100 articles. Perhaps it’s not yet enough to be ready for a printed version distributed to schools, but there’s been good progress. Compared to the other South African languages, some spoken by… Continue reading Venda Wikipedia progress
*Camp debauchery
This weekend I was at *Camp, which for those not in the know was an unconference about * (and somehow explaining it further seems as useful as explaining a joke if you don’t get it). It was highly enjoyable. So what were the lingering memories? First was a strange ache in some muscles on my… Continue reading *Camp debauchery
Tune Xhosa with Ian
I’m learning Xhosa. Those who know me may may roll their eyes – another flavour of the day from Ian. How long will this one last? Using only the infinitesimal fraction of my life represented by my blog, witness Learning Mandarin Chinese, and some insight into my brain’s inner workings as a failed attempt at… Continue reading Tune Xhosa with Ian
Apple now better than Microsoft!
I always enjoy reading Greenpeace’s Guide to Electronics, as much for the response from injured fans upset at the depiction of their company (Apple) as for an understanding of what companies are doing. The report is most well-known for its ratings of Apple, and the outcry by brand-loyal Apple fans, grasping at straws in an… Continue reading Apple now better than Microsoft!
Love, aloneness, the relativity of emotion and a beginner’s mind
Ramon Thomas today wrote a post about Osho’s Love, freedom and aloneness. It struck a cord seeing as (as everyone on Facebook knows) I recently had a change of relationship status, and I also happen to be reading the book. I was musing on the topic as I drove around the Peninsula today, and looking… Continue reading Love, aloneness, the relativity of emotion and a beginner’s mind
Wikipedia Academy – the video
Frank has uploaded a well-edited video of our experiences at the Wikipedia Academy at CIDA. It includes snippets of Jimmy Wales’ and Ndesanjo Macha’s talks, some shots of an overly hairy dude with a ponytail, as well as footage of us stuck in the infamous lifts. Related articles Afrikaans Wikipedia meetup First Wikipedia Academy in… Continue reading Wikipedia Academy – the video