http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/mugabe-and-the-white-african www.mugabeandthewhiteafrican.com
‘Sigh No More’ by Mumford & Sons
As much as we run away from it, as much as we deny it, most of us have experienced heartache. Sigh No More retraces your steps, softens your denial and finds your darkest hour. Not because the album is sad. Because it is complete.
Eclipse (FILM)
I do not ever watch schlock such as Eclipse. Then my friend Shane asked me to watch the first one as he wanted to debate the film afterwards. As our debates are amusing as a rule I grudgingly agreed. I traipsed off to the cinema only to sit through an unbearable experience which, for weeks …
The Wind that Shakes the Barley (FILM)
With such intelligent and poignant films on offer such as The Wind that Shakes the Barley you would think that humanity grasps the futility of war. Not.
The man without a past (FILM)
If you woke up today with no name and no memory of the childhood that shaped you, the people you hurt or even the kind of person you were, who would you choose to be? Would it be a choice? Could you start over and ‘get it right’ this time around? These are the …
‘Brothers’ by The Black Keys
My friend, Eddie the Farmer, has a farmhouse outside Boons. (Closest dorp Magalies. Closest Woollies Rustenburg.)
29th of july 2010
Today a baby died on the streets of Africa. The mother was denied help at a clinic. Her child was born on the sidewalk outside. A witness says the baby had hit the curb, the side of its face swollen. Today Beki Cele, police commissioner, held a press conference. It was …
Zombieland: A thrill ride
‘Zombieland’ is one of the most offensive films I have ever seen. I loved it! Yes, it is filled with the obligatory zombie killing that the genre requires (and which is executed with great glee by an ass kicking Woody Harrelson), but more importantly it is side splittingly politically incorrect.
gaga once more
Hurry on over to www.ladygaga.com and watch the newly launched video for ‘Alejandro’. (Should be up for a few days before being moved to Youtube.) Not for the faint hearted, homophobic or those who are sensitive about their religion. It is grande.
seattle, hyde park
When I sit in my favourite corner at Seattle, Hyde Park, I am armed against possible interferences. I sit at the window so that I have a bit of a view. I have a short green tea, so I don’t have to give up my spot to rush off to the WC. I listen to music …
Flame & Citron (FILM)
Certainly one of the worst movie titles ever. Maybe it sounded better in the original Danish? Flammen & Citronen. Hmm, okay, it’s a little better. Don’t let a badly chosen title stop you though from watching this incredibly complex, but hugely entertaining film based on actual events.
Moon (FILM)
Moon is not a first date movie. In fact, I am not sure what kind of film Moon is. Yes, it certainly is brilliant as you never see it coming (and I normally irritate fellow movie goers by whispering to them what is coming as I always see it coming), but it is also an …
Red Cliff (FILM)
I don’t often regret not living in China. But had I lived in China when seeing ‘Red Cliff’ I would have seen the four hour version and not the 2.5 hour version edited down for Western audiences. Dammit!
koto song
Goeie bliksem. Daar is geen woorde om ‘Koto Song’ op die Dave Brubeck Quartet se 1964 album ‘Jazz impressions of Japan’ te beskryf nie.
parow, jack parow
Met die koop van Zef rapper, Jack Parow, se eerste album het ek sekere verwagtinge gehad; ʼn mate van vuilbekkigheid, windgat wees, kak praat, skerp kommentaar, rou beats (om Jack te quote) en lekker lawwe musiek.
it’s not a panasonic ad, i promise
They’re supposed to bring good luck. (Watch out for the subtitles.)
veggie therapy
Working in the garden can be therapeutic. Today I chopped down to size the 5m high Bougainvillea that was covering much of our new stoep, I supported the peas, laced the butternut plants through the lattice hedge for support and planted some gooseberry cuttings that I accidentally broke off. I hope they ‘take’. And …
This is hilarious. Go Tom Waits.
Lawsuits Tom Waits has steadfastly refused to allow the use of his songs in commercials and has joked about other artists who do. (“If Michael Jackson wants to work for Pepsi, why doesn’t he just get himself a suit and an office in their headquarters and be done with it?”) He has filed …
Margot Timmins – Margot’s Corner
For those living under rocks, Margot Timmins is the legendary voice behind the legendary Cowboy Junkies and I saw them live!
Harvey Lee Osmond – A quiet evil
When you’ve got Cowboy Junkies as your backing band, but you don’t sound like Cowboy Junkies, it is rather impressive. You have kept your own sound, but have consummate musicians to back you up.
taking a break
Right, I’ve been horribly slack. I took a hiatus from all writing/photography/internet related things. The reasons? 1. We moved. 2. I needed a break from my head. 3. I needed to start fresh. And that’s about it. But I will make up for it.
oops
I haven’t blogged in three days. It’s the longest period I have not blogged. Hmm, guess I was busy painting, sanding, sealing, scraping the new flat, passing out in the evenings and getting up early to paint, sand, seal, scrape… I promise, I will make it up.
Toni Collette
Showtime gave us Weeds, The L Word, Dexter and Californication. Diablo Cody gave us June. Together they give us The United State of Tara, an edgy, but authentic comedy with a foulmouthed whopper of a script. Tara is a 35year old worn out wife and mother of a teenage slut and young …
i’m watching this as soon as it hits the big screens!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=buarPFzHmBw
KKNK 2 April – ‘Adam September en die Nazi skat’
Marius Weyers as n gay Nazi? Ek giggel nou nog.
KKNK – 1 April ‘As die broek pas’
Dalk luister ek te veel Lady Gaga. Sy vat komplekse konsepte (seksuele identiteit) en kabaret-style opvoerings en maak dit nie net toegangklik nie, maar ook supercool. Sy is besig om die massas op te voed.
KKNK – 1 April ‘Draadwerk’
ʼn Toneelstuk wat handel oor Helen Martins en die Uilhuis kan so maklik schmaltzy wees.
KKNK – 1 April Strijdom van der Merwe
In ‘n neutedop… Stijdom se ‘mannetjies’ staan in die landskap oppad Calitzdorp of George toe. Ons het definitief gaan soek daarvoor, maar sal enige persoon wat verby ry se aandag trek.
Oudtshoorn
Oudtshoorn is so ‘n mooi dorpie. Die plakkate en ‘branding’ wat tydens die KKNK fees opgesit word is maar ‘n gemors.
KKNK dag 1
Die vlug was 2 ure vertraag, die Avis kar was nie reg nie, maar die Cul de Sac B&B het opgemaak vir alles. Meer daaroor bietjie later. Goed, hier is die res van die storie op 11 April 2010. 1Time. Die vlug George toe was vertraag. Gelukkig het 1Time ons die vorige aand …
the perfect sunday
I tried the new Nespresso blend, Tanzarú, with the wife – www.nespresso.co.za I sealed the floor of the new flat with a natural sealant – www.pronature.co.za I had a Windhoek Light under the trees while the wife finished a guerilla mosaic. I babaysat little Luca for an hour while his parents unpacked their new …
coffee from brazil
The one advantage of having friends who travel the world, friends who are as passionate as I am about the small things in life, is that they bring little gifts that excite me to no end. So my dear friend Shane returned from Brazil with a packet of organic Spress Café ground coffee! …
my little fig tree
Woollies sells these for R69.99 and you can grow them in a pot! The next step would be to buy and plant a lemon tree. Keith Kirsten is selling them for anything from R300.00 to R600.00. I can’t believe I have waited this long to start growing veggies! I love it. When …
phomudzo continued
The story that goes with this photo can be found at http://www.reneywarrington.co.za/?p=992
i will get there…
So I’ve caught up on sleep but spent they day sanding the floors of the new flat and cleaning the byproducts of sanding, which means I am barely able to type this message. Old age, what can I say? I am sealing the floors tomorrow and on Friday, shooting a wedding on Saturday and …
the post for the 20th, 21st, 22nd and 23rd
So I decided not to take a laptop, check email on my phone or go online at all from the 20th to the 23rd! And it was glorious. More detail will follow shortly, once I have caught up on some much needed sleep. 25/03/2010 Luca’s welcoming party I have learnt the hard …
what an honour
I have been asked to say something at the naming ceremony of this little guy.
my little helper
How I would have struggled today to get into all the little corners of the Rhodesian Teak floors without this little gadget…
my life without sinus! whoohoo!
For over a week I have been using a neti pot on a daily basis. And although it is still early days, I am convinced my sense of smell has improved drastically! Not to mention the absence of sinus headaches, nasal congestion, sore eyes and tender cheekbones! It is not difficult to use and …
my life of crime
If I was inclined towards a life of crime I can certainly commit a ‘fingerprint-less’ crime tonight. After two days of sanding our parquet flooring I don’t have any fingerprints left! Not even my laptop, which has a fingerprint ID function, will accept my sandpapered index fingerprint. But it’s a great feeling to sand …
films to miss
Even the trailer is shockingly bad… The success of this trilogy is not a good sign for the creative future of humanity. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q1D5goGz0SY&feature=fvhl
an awesome Louis Armstrong track
Don’t know if it is legal for me to post this track, but it is just so inspiring I though it would be worth the risk. It is called (What did I do to be so) Black and Blue and it is off the album Original Columbia Jazz Classic: Satch play Fats. …
One last Gaga post
There is no one like her out there. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GQ95z6ywcBY
Original Columbia Jazz Classics
After 2009, the year of shrinking budgets, it has been decided to cut my iTunes extravaganzas. I have been given a budget, or quota rather, of one album per month. With a figure of roughly R160.00 in mind I visited my local Musica last night. It is interesting to see how one’s perception of money changes ‘when …
Blaauwklippen
If you can get your hands on a 2005 Blaauwklippen Cabernet Sauvignon you are in for a treat. http://www.blaauwklippen.co.za/index.php?id=1252&L=6
another version of the post on March 8th
Sitting at a hotel bar drinking a glass of expensive whiskey on your own is a pretty miserable ending to a pretty miserable day. There is no one to taste the peat, see the view of Joburg or tell about the loneliness that crept up on me today. I navigate to the contacts …
to be continued…
Everyone’s gone home and I’m left sipping a glass of Lagavulin whiskey in the hotel bar. It’s a pretty sad fucking ending for a pretty sad fucking day, that’s for sure. I navigate to the contacts on my phone. Even though I know I won’t find a name of anyone left in Joburg that …
so i was wrong about the best actress Oscar…
I like Sandra Bullock as much as the next person, and have always thought she was a bit underrated, but to win an Oscar for ‘The Blind Side’ was quite a surprise. Well done, anyway, Sandra.
a visit to the farm
The one advantage to growing older, and believe me there are quite a few advantages, is that you settle in your skin and come to appreciate the meaningful people in your life. So, there was no better way to spend my Saturday afternoon, than on the farm on the back of the Isuzu surrounded …
one to miss out on
Even the trailer looks shockingly bad. The one-liners are beyond corny. I just can’t see Jake Gyllenhaal, which I think is a brilliant actor, as a butch Persian prince/soldier. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UQ0rIr_405c&feature=fvst
die begin van die tweede rondte
Goed, so die eerste poging tot ‘n boek is nog nie gepubliseer nie. Mens kan egter nie wag daarvoor nie. Die tweede storie wil nou uit. Hmm, hier is die eerste paar woorde. We were married in the veld. On a sweltering December afternoon we faced each other under a canopy of …
My ma sê…
…ek moet ophou met my Gaga posts. Duidelik vind sy haar nie so inspirerend soos ek nie.
waiting for the oscars (written for www.litnet.co.za)
Of course Avatar is going to clean up at the Oscars! It will be a great pity though. Yes, it was groundbreaking in terms of animation and the much needed lesson in biodiversity was conveyed in a ‘cool’ medium that would engage younger audiences. Yet the incredibly pompous James Cameron forgot all about narrative, …
die troepe in die tuin
Ek het al drie tarentale in ons Parkwood kompleks se tuin gesien. Twee grotes en ‘n kleintjie. Vanoggend is ek egter verras deur die groepie wat voor ons woonstel verby jaag. Daar was maklik 15 tarentale en een deurmekaar hoender wat gedink het hy is ‘n tarentaal. Verbeel julle! In die hartjie van Johannesburg. …
Let the Right One in (FILM)
Using an innocent, lonely 12-year old girl called Eli as your villain is a stroke of genius. It mixes up the vampire genre, but more importantly sets the stage for an emotionally and ethically complex film. ‘Let the Right One in’ thus rises above the horror genre and becomes much more than avampire flick. .
After the Wedding (FILM)
I have seen many great films over the last few years. Some one-liners and plot twists have faded from memory, while some scenes and characters are still as clear as day. ‘After the Wedding’ will be a film that is utterly impossible to forget.
Veggie update
Our carrots survived our ten day absence. So did the lemon basil, beetroot, strawberries and Cape Gooseberry. I am afraid that our two tomato orphans are looking somewhat frail. The one has a strange white fur growing on the stem, the other is a bit floppy and its joints are swollen. Hmm, I am consulting …
I will stop…
…posting Gaga videos one day. But not just quite yet. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=exwZXQoHkwg
ek wil hierdie wyne proe…
http://www.time.com/time/travel/article/0,31542,1913387,00.html Is enige iemand lus vir ‘n trippie Frankryk toe?
the mandala, the walk to the harbour and red wine on the beach
To be posted as soon as my sinus clears up. Screen is hurting my eyes.
the post for the 19th…
…should have been a review of the Cape Town Natural and Organics Fair. It might be one day late, but I am still reading all the pamphlets. Watch this space. Right, a few cool things I picked up: 1. The Cape Town Green Map. A fold out map listing the parks/gardens …
taking performance art to the masses
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LB_GE03lQDw&feature=related
cupid
A valentines dinner of lightly smoked Snoek, roast unions and butternut and fresh salad at dusk, on the borrowed balcony in a wind still Vredehoek overlooking Cape Town.
Infecting the city
We’re leaving for Cape Town today. My wife is participating in the Spier Infecting the City public arts festival. For more info go to: www.suchinitiative.org or www.twitter.com/suchinitiative or http://www.infectingthecity.com/2010/whats-on/productions/mandala-for-healing We will be posting images and video on the Such Initiative site from Monday onwards. In the meanwhile have a look at the pics …
goeie vriende
My vrou (en Ed die boer) kan Cassandra Wilson se musiek nie verdra nie. Ek (en Bertus die dominee) voel anders oor die Amerikaner. Dus luister ek my ‘Glamoured’ CD net wanneer ek die huis vir myself het. ‘Glamoured’ bevat van Cassandra se eie komposisies, maar ook Sting, Bob Dylan, Willie Nelson en Mudday Waters covers. En …
Fantastic Mr. Fox
George Clooney’s charm is undeniable. I went against my organic, fair trade and recycling principles to buy a darn Nespresso machine because he is the ‘Nespresso guy’. There is just no resisting him as Mr. Fox, a chicken thief gone ‘straight’ in this stop-motion animation film.
‘n goeie dag
Vandag is ‘n goeie dag vir baie redes. Een, my vrou het onverwags vroeg huis toe gekom. Daar was genoeg tyd vir ‘n organiese espresso en ‘pecan nut pie’. Twee, ons tamatie saailinge het hulle tweede blaartjies en ons aangenome tamatieplant se eerste twee tamaties is aan die rooi word. Drie, my …
landskroon wines
Vanaand drink ons ‘n 2007 Landskroon Cabernet Sauvignon. Dit is gewoonlik ‘n 4Ster John Platter wyn. Behalwe vir die 2007 wat ‘afgemerk’ is na ‘n 3.5Ster. Platter sê “Ripe, dark berry & tobacco nuance in heartwarming 07 (3.5Ster). Flavoursome & approachable, shade sofer than 06.” Landskroon sê “STYLE: Full-bodied with ripe mulberry fruit …
gaga at the grammy’s
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qe1sbr8H5zc Ag, the link above no longer works, because the Grammy organisers are going around harassaing everyone who uploads Grammy clips! Try the following link instead. The sound and visuals are not as great, but what can one do? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dlOvfUTHfxY
Seven Samurai, The Hurt Locker, 2 Days in Paris
There is only one advantage to having food poisoning. You are so horribly ill you can do nothing but watch movies. Yeah!