Happy New Year !!!

I know I won’t get a chance to do this later – so I’m preparing this post a few hours earlier.

Thanks to all my loyal readers, you know who you are, and also to the many people that visit my blog from far and wide. It’s been a good year, with many events (good and bad), let’s hope 2010 is even better, for everyone!

Have a blast and be safe!

H A P P Y   N E W    Y E A R ! ! !

Merry Christmas

Spent the evening last night with family stuffing ourselves and kids opening presents. This afternoon is a repeat of yesterday with the other half of the family.

Here’s just a quick message to all of you hoping you and yours have a wonderful Christmas! Be safe!

Settlers of Catan

Last night, after work, we dropped off the kids at my folks place and went through to friends of ours for a pizza and games evening. They had recently purchased a copy of Settlers of Catan and we were keen to have a go and see what all the fuss was about.

Here’s the description of the game from the official Catan website:

Players are recent immigrants to the newly populated island of Catan. Expand your colony through the building of settlements, roads, and villages by harvesting commodities from the land around you. Trade sheep, lumber, bricks and grain for a settlement, bricks and wood for a road, or try to complete other combinations for more advanced buildings, services and specials.

Trade with other players, or at local seaports to get resources you might lack. The first player to achieve 10 points from a combination of roads, settlements, and special cards wins.

I’d say it’s a somewhat similar to Risk (and maybe a little bit of Monopoly) but a lot more fun and even though there are a lot of rules and options during game play, a lot quicker too. We played two games last night that lasted between 60 and 90 minutes each.

And because of the board pieces (hexagonal map piece depicting a certain resource) being placed randomly to make up the map at the beginning of each game and randomly picking (by throwing a pair of dice) the starting person and direction, each game is very different from the previous one.

And example of such a map is like the one below:

The winner of the game is the first person to accumulate 10 points. Points are achieved by building settlements (1 point), cities (2 points) and getting various other special items like Development Cards that give you points, building the longest road (2 points) or having the strongest army (2 points). But don’t be fooled, just because you won a certain achievement that doesn’t mean it can’t be taken away from you by another player who betters your achievement.

What also makes the game interesting and different each time is the fact that resources (like wood, brick, ore, wheat and sheep) don’t ever have a fixed value to them and depending on which resources are most useful to you at the time will determine how you trade with other players. For example one game you’ll end up trading one for one of different resources and other times you might be willing to give up 2 or even 3 of a resource (or combination) for just one other resource from another player.

You also don’t have to wait to play until it’s your turn as every player gets to do a certain amount of things for every dice roll.

There’s a really nice interactive “How To Play” the Settlers of Catan board game that shows you what the game looks like and how to play it.

It’s an expensive board game so I suggest you play with a friend first to see whether or not you too enjoy the game before investing in your own copy (oh and there are various version and extension packs available too) or why not give it a go online against 2 virtual players.

Thanks for the invite guys – it was a great idea and a lot of fun – we’ll definitely have to do it again sometime soon.

Sorry Google, Chrome has been vindicated!

Last week I ranted on about Google’s Chrome browser hanging my laptop and after non-use of Chrome the problem went away. Well, it seems that I had spoken too soon. The very next day my laptop hung again, and I had not used Chrome since before I wrote the blog post.

So, frustrated with the hanging, I did a little more digging and found out that there was a known problem with one of Microsoft’s Windows updates, MS09-065 (969947), which caused hanging of the OS (with mouse movement still working) for users with Nvidia and ATI video cards. Now, I know, it’s an XP problem but the update applies to Vista as well so I thought it might be exhibiting the same problems with Vista so I removed that update as well as the Nvidia driver update and re-applied the Nvidia driver update again.

It was a short-lived experience, as the problem returned.

So, I gave in and restored my laptop back to it’s clean, factory-install version of Vista and began rebuilding it again. Many, many long hours later and about 1.7GB of various windows updates later, it seems I have a usable laptop once again.

And yes, this post is being written and posted using Google Chrome, again my browser of choice!

Google Chrome – Brand Minus

For a long time now, actually since the very first release of Google Chrome, I’ve been an ambassador for how cool a browser it is and that it’s been my browser of choice ever since they released it. That is up until today when I realised Google Chrome has been the culprit of my Vista OS hanging (note, no BSOD). At first I thought it might have been a Windows Update or one of my other applications, however it always happened while I had Google Chrome also open.

Now, for over a year now I’ve never had any bad experiences with using Google Chrome (either with Windows XP or with Windows Vista). For the last couple of days I’ve explicity NOT used Google Chrome  and lo and behold, I no longer have to hard reboot my laptop anymore. And it seems I’m not alone – nor is it a recent occurance as others have had similar problems.

I guess I’ll have to monitor the news and forums feeds for a resolution before I used Google Chrome again – I sure am going to miss it until then!

Summer weather?

We’re into the second week of November now – which over here in Cape Town should mean we’re in full swing into Summer – but looking at the next 3 days forecast (including today) you’d think otherwise wouldn’t you?

I guess with some of the towns along the garden-route that might not have more than another month’s worth of water this will hopefully help them. The heavens really opened up last night!

Still Alive

Despite the lack of activity, from me, on my blog this month I am still alive. I’ve just been busy and distracted by a lot of things lately to focus on my blog.

My blog has, however, been busy with regard to incoming traffic and I appreciate all the visitors keeping it alive by reading my various posts, commenting and rating.

In between working hard, a death in the family, there’s also been a big change that’s been brewing.

A little over a year ago I was rambling on (one of my first few posts) about meeting the new company I would be joining. A lot has happened in that year, including an unfortunate retrenchment and the start of a new chapter in my career.

I’ve enjoyed my 5 months at the new company now but I’m the type of person that needs to focus on his strengths as I know with those I can add the most value. Don’t get me wrong, I’ve not just sat idly by the last 5 months – I’ve been busy – and I’ve learnt new things (yes, this old dog is never too old to learn new things) and I’ve shared my knowledge with others too, at the very least I hope that’s been the case.

Now I’m one that believes it’s never a good idea to go back to a company you’ve left since there’s usually a very compelling reason that made you leave that company. However, this is one case where it’s a little different. I didn’t leave the company but was forced into retrenchment due to the financial status of the company as well as the recession the world was facing. I didn’t hold it against them as they really had their hand forced and I enjoyed working there, the type of work I was doing and also just as importantly, all the people.

A couple weeks ago I was contacted by them and we’ve had discussions about the business and the future and my possible inclusion in their future. I’ve had the time to mull things over and have had to make yet another decision which not only affects my career but my family too. And I think in both cases, for the better.

I’ve decided to join them again, even though they’re operating under a new name, they’re still the same friendly people. So much so that I got the opportunity to join them yesterday for a team-building session. We all had the opportunity, after a scrumptious lamb-0n-the-spit lunch, to try our hand at lawn bowls. Let me be the first to say, lawn bowls is not as easy as you may think. There’s a definite skill involved and it definitely takes a while to get used rolling those balls. Everyone had a great time and enjoyed the atmosphere and occasion – I’d definitely like to try that again some time with some friends.

So yet another change, but looking forward to being part of the old gang again.

If today was your last day?

If today was your last day and tomorrow was too late
Could you say goodbye to yesterday?
Would you live each moment like your last
Leave old pictures in the past?
Donate every dime you had, if today was your last day?
What if, what if, if today was your last day?
– Chad Kroeger, Nickleback

My mom has been up away for about a week and a half now to be at the bedside of her eldest sister who was in hospital. She had malignant growths removed from her bowels and after surgery became more ill from a hospital virus she contracted. Her organs started to fail and she was placed in a medically induced coma as her body was to week to cope. For a period of time she was on a ventialtor as well as she could no longer breathe on her own.

My mom, her sister, younger brother and her mom (my gran is 92 by the way) have been going every day to the hospital and back to be at her bedside and to motivate her to fight and get better. Last week however they were told that she might not make past midweek. So the family has been preparing itself for the worst. A priest was also called in to say a few prayers.

A specialist told the family that she was not brain dead so they couldn’t legally turn off the machines and let her go. Over the weekend she stabilised so that she could be removed form the ventilator however still in an induced coma.

While all this is happening my cousin (daughter of the second eldest sister) is 39 weeks pregnant and just about ready to pop! Understandably her mom is being tugged between her sister’s condition and the miracle of her daughter’s pending birth. Not a situation I would wish upon my worst enemy.

I spoke to my mom again last night and she said that she spoke to her sister and commanded her to wake up and wish her for her birthday (yeah it was my mom’s birthday yesterday – she turned 60). After she left the room my aunt’s daughter-in-law noticed tears streaming from her eyes while she lay in a coma on the bed. I guess it must be true that we can sub-consciously hear people while in a coma.

This morning around 2am my aunt passed away. I guess she tried to hold on just a little bit longer so as not to leave my mom with the reminder on her birthday each year about her sister’s passing and not on the day her neice would give birth to her first-born. I really feel for my gran who I couldn’t imagine what she must be going through – as parents we should never be in a position that we should have to bury our children, especially not at the age of 92!

And so with the passing of one life the balance must be restored – any day now my cousin will give birth to their child and the ying-yang will be in balance once again.

Here’s the video to the Nickleback lyrics I was referring to at the beginning of this post. Remember, live your life to the fullest because today might be your last day. Rest in peace, aunt Pieta.

Perception

I got this from BG today and after reading the story thought it might be one of those email urban myths we all know so well. It seems however, according to trusty Snopes.com that it is indeed a true story – read the story for yourself and tell me what you think.

Washington, DC Metro Station on a cold January morning in 2007. The man with a violin played six Bach pieces for about 45 minutes. During that time approx. 2 thousand people went through the station, most of them on their way to work. After 3 minutes a middle aged man noticed there was a musician playing. He slowed his pace and stopped for a few seconds and then hurried to meet his schedule.

4 minutes later:

the violinist received his first dollar: a woman threw the money in the hat and, without stopping, continued to walk..

6 minutes:

A young man leaned against the wall to listen to him, then looked at his watch and started to walk again.

10 minutes:

A 3-year old boy stopped but his mother tugged him along hurriedly. The kid stopped to look at the violinist again, but the mother pushed hard and the child continued to walk, turning his head all the time. This action was repeated by several other children. Every parent, without exception, forced their children to move on quickly.

45 minutes:

The musician played continuously. Only 6 people stopped and listened for a short while. About 20 gave money but continued to walk at their normal pace. The man collected a total of $32.

1 hour:

He finished playing and silence took over. No one noticed. No one applauded, nor was there any recognition.

No one knew this, but the violinist was Joshua Bell, one of the greatest musicians in the world. He played one of the most intricate pieces ever written, with a violin worth $3.5 million dollars. Two days before Joshua Bell sold out a theater in Boston where the seats averaged $100.

This is a true story. Joshua Bell playing incognito in the metro station was organized by the Washington Post as part of a social experiment about perception, taste and people’s priorities. The questions raised: in a common place environment at an inappropriate hour, do we perceive beauty? Do we stop to appreciate it? Do we recognize talent in an unexpected context?

One possible conclusion reached from this experiment could be this: If we do not have a moment to stop and listen to one of the best musicians in the world, playing some of the finest music ever written, with one of the most beautiful instruments ever made…. How many other things are we missing?

Makes you think doesn’t it? How the surroundings a person finds themselves could dictate the perception others have of him? Just because someone is out in a public place playing a musical instrument does that instantly make them someone who is busking for money? Poor? Aren’t they talented? Do you even notice that they’re playing? And if you do tip them, do you just hurry off or do you take a minute or two to take in and enjoy their musical talent?

In case you missed the experiment a little over 2 years ago you can enjoy it by watching the video below supplied by the Washington Post on Youtube. And if you’d like to read the original full story on the Washington Post website click here (there’s even an interview with Joshua about the ‘stunt’).

District 9

So we’re in Noordhoek celebrating our 10th anniversary and the weather is pretty crappy and there’s not much to do outdoors in weather like this in Noordhoek. We’ve been to the World of Birds and Hout Bay Harbour a number of times before so we drove down to Longbeach Mall to see what was there and if perhaps they had a thing called the “cinema”.

We thought we might be pushing our luck, but lo and behold, they actually had one, in fact a few cinemas in the mall.

There has been much talk of this District 9 movie for the last month or so and after being prompted by the likes of Baldricman and my brother, I thought we too should go and see what all the fuss is about.

Now I am not a fan of the home-brewed movies or acting except for the odd comedy so I went in with very low expectations. Yes we have the likes of Charlize Theron but she’s a one-in-a-million when it comes to a-list actors from South Africa.

District 9 is not your ordinary film although I think it’s genre would classify it as a sci-fi movie however there’s a distinct documentary feel about it but it doesn’t only have elements of science fiction in it. There’s the drama and almost realism of it all due to the documentary style it is shown in. There’s the romance between the lead character Wikus (played by Sharlto Copley, who interestingly is largely an unknown when it comes to the big/little screen and actually didn’t audition for a role at all and was just helping his mate read lines) and his on-screen wife Tanya (played by Vanessa Haywood). There’s a lot of humour, although I think the language used might appeal more to South Africans than internationals. And there’s lots of action and surprisingly well done special effects.

With a high rating of 8.5 out of 10 from almost 70,000 votes and grossing more ($37m) than it’s budget ($30m) in it’s opening weekend it seems the movie is becoming quite a success.

So what did I think of it? I was actually very surprised and actually enjoyed it, quite a bit in fact. I quickly forgot about the silly sounding South African accents and even though there was a documentary style about it still enjoyed it. The effects as I said were done surprisingly well and did not look cheesy at all. If you’re squeamish about blood and gore maybe this isn’t one for you as there’s quite a bit of it. There are a couple of lines from the movie that I really enjoyed, although they’re not quite fitting for publishing on my blog, if you get my drift.

But don’t take just my word for it – read some reviews on Rotten Tomatoes and go and see it for yourself. And if you’ve not seen it yet, here’s the trailer below.