R E S P E C T find out what it means to Tony Blair
Check out this story from the Washington Times highlighting Tony Blair’s socially-fired-up plan to curb crime, noisy neighbours and other social ills… What do you think Joburgers, would a “respect” based initiative help any of our social ills? Click here for the full story. LONDON — British Prime Min…ister Tony Blair, introducing a key plank of his third and final term in office, has started a $140 million action plan dubbed “Respect” to attack anti-social problems ranging from street hooligans to “neighbors from hell” who could be thrown out of their homes. In an address to social workers at his office at 10 Downing St., Mr. Blair said the nation has been fighting “21st-century crime with 19th-century methods” and called for a system of speedy “summary justice” to bypass traditional courts. The judge and jury process, he claimed, is “too cumbersome, too remote from reality to be effective” in today’s world. Mr. Blair has already announced that he intends to step down as prime minister after completing the third term to which he was elected in May, and the ambitious, 44-page “Respect Action Plan” was seen as a shot at gaining a major political — and popular — success as his trouble-plagued governance nears its end. To promote the plan, Mr. Blair traveled to Swindon, about 60 miles west of London, to hose down graffiti on a red-brick wall — a public relations exercise that police said had among its spectators the youths suspected of spraying on the graffiti in the first place. They were not arrested. Critics immediately attacked Mr. Blair’s plan, one dismissing it as “rubbish,” and another describing it as a package of “minor tweaks to existing measures and shock tactics.” The program he announced yesterday envisions evicting out-of-control families from their homes, even if privately owned, for up to three months, and rehousing them in a network of residential centers, or “sin bins,” to teach them how to behave. Mr. Blair, who admitted to the BBC on Tuesday to having disciplined his own children with an occasional “smack,” said the bill targets so-called “neighbors from hell” whose anti-social activities run the gamut from loud music at all hours to fighting and brawling, including yelling, screaming children and bullying others. Problem families also could find their government housing benefits, worth hundreds of dollars a month in many cases, cut off. The “Respect” plan outlines on-the-spot fines of up to $175 for street hooligans and vandals caught attacking passers-by, damaging vehicles and scrawling graffiti on walls, buses and trains. It says stiffer penalties are in store for thugs who attack government workers, and there are instant fines...
London Design Festival – SA exhibits @ Conran!
This years London design festival kicks off today in London – the good news is that there is a showing of Southern African artists which will be on display in none other than the CONRAN SHOP. Now if you love design but you don’t know who CONRAN is, you should be ashamed! We’ll fill you in at the end of this article with a brief look at this Guru’s...
ALICE WALKER in Durban for TIme of the Writer
DURBAN! You just keep ’em coming! We are really blessed to have Alice Walker attending the “Time of the Writer” festival in Durbs in March – remember the Color Purple, besides ALice there are a number of outstanding African and other authors attending the festival… BOOK QUICKLY at COMPUTICKET! Most events are free or only R20. Durban you are chipile sometimes hey! 9th TIME OF THE WRITER : 2…0th TO 25th March 2006 The 9th Time of the Writer international writers’ festival takes place in Durban from 20 to 25 March 2006 . This established event on the South African cultural calendar delivers quality national, African and international literary talent within an extensive week-long programme of activities. Heading the line-up for Time of the Writer 2006 is celebrated American writer, Alice Walker (USA) . Other participants include Chris Abani (Nigeria), Abdelkader Benali (Morroco/Netherlands), Bernardine Evaristo (United Kingdom), Amitav Ghosh (India), Eric Miyeni (South Africa), Kagiso Lesego Molope (South Africa), Patrice Nganang (Cameroon), OEHM Nxumalo (South Africa), Monica de arc Nyeko (Uganda), Marguerite Poland (South Africa), Marita van der Vyver (South Africa), Ayu Utami (Indonesia), Eliot Weinberger (USA), and Zapiro (South Africa).Names are linked to biogs and photos. Further participant information and programme details will become available closer to the festival. Presentations, readings and discussions take place nightly at the Elizabeth Sneddon Theatre with daily activities at various tertiary institutions, community centres, museums, schools and other venues, including prison. Tickets are R20 for the evening sessions, R10 for students, and can be purchased through Computicket or at the door one hour before the event. Workshops and seminars are free. For more information on the Time of the Writer festival contact The Centre for Creative Arts, University of KwaZulu-Natal on 031 – 260 2506 or e-mail here Click here for more...
Namibia with my Lover – Drool…
Thanks to Dikatso for the first of our holiday stories featuring trips to Southern African countries… She went West to Namibia for a New Years break – sounds marvellous. PS: You know you can fly with Kulula pretty chipile? Click here for Nambia Tourism – thanks for the pic by the way! It all started with a dream. I wanted …to travel a lot more. Especially within the African continent (can’t afford the thousands of rands required to fly over seas). I figured I’d done SA extensively. Did Mocambique two years back. Zimbabwe&hmmm, maybe later. Lesotho – done. Swaziland- done. Botswana – done. Next stop. Namibia. It’s actually quite funny that my lover and I booked ourselves into a B&B, paid for it and everything, without even knowing how far Namibia is. On the map it seems pretty close. And I’d done other Southern African countries by car before, so I figured piece of cake. Tjo. The place is like 2000km away mfana. That means it would take a full day to get there if you are foolish enough to drive. Ah, I figured it would be a bit of an adventure you know. Just me, my lover and the open road. We figured we’d leave in the afternoon, drive through the night and get there the next morning. Phela we are on a budget trip, can’t afford to do an overnight stop, that stuff needs money. And we have very little of that. This is the diary of Dikatso & Mothepu December 29, 2005 10h00 – scheduled time to leave 13h00 – actual time of departure. Eish, my lover and keeping time – the two just don’t get along yazi. 14h00 – got a bit lost trying to find the N14 or is it the N4 – the road that takes us to Zeerust. 15h00 – Made a quick stop somewhere in Magaliesburg for some goodies. You know some padkos that consisted of sweets, simba chips, water and some cool drink. Can’t spend too much, we are on a budget. 18h00 – Zeerust. Finally. Been driving for what seems like forever. But the roads are pretty good, so wasn’t all that bad actually. 19h00 – Finally get to Pioneer Gate Border Post. Goodbye South Africa, and Hello Botswana. Must say the customs officials aren’t very friendly. Nope, not at all. Botswana needs to train their customs staff to be a little bit friendlier, maybe smile a little. I mean, if your first impression of a country is their customs official…ya, they need some people skills. Had to exchange some rands into the Botswana currency, the Pula that has...
“SMS Sugar Man” – cellphone film complete
Remember we told you all about the Fliek that’s getting shot on a cellphone – it’s been completed! Check it out! Principal photography was completed on SMS Sugar Man, early on 31st December 2005. “It works”, says Aryan Kaganof, the prolific writer/director of numerous feature films, shorts and video art who is directing the film. “We shot with up to eight Sony Ericsson W900i …mobile phones, and the results are beyond our expectations. The results of the blow-up tests were amazing. This camera has liberated film makers from the tyrannies of the 35mm set. Finally I can truly say that I FILM WHAT I LIKE.” “The technology gave us unlimited time to focus on the intimacy of the performances, and we were able to complete the shooting of an entire feature film in an amazing 12 days”, says Michelle Wheatley, producer for Reflex Motion Pictures. The production stars newcomers Deja Bernhardt and Leigh Graves in the two leads, who give sizzling performances. Also contributing to the company of players are John Matshikiza (Wah-Wah), Jerry Mofokeng (Tsotsi), and Luthuli Dlamini (Scandal), all well known on South African screens and stage. Dv8 Films Executive Producers Joel Phiri and Jeremy Nathan, are thrilled with the results, “The rushes look incredible, this will change the way films are made in the near future.” The story is an original idea of Kaganof’s, takes place on Christmas Eve, and is a love triangle with an audacious twist. A feel good story on a lonely dark evening, for the modern urban viewer. The script was workshopped with all the actors. The film will be ready for distribution on a variety of media in May 2006, on mobile, Internet, theatrical, television and DVD platforms, offering the public maximum access in innovative ways. Ster-Kinekor, one of the film’s financiers, will handle the release in South Africa. Says Helen Kuhn, “This project is at the heart of the spirit of our collaboration with Dv8. The film is incredibly innovative. We are excited about the prospects of this film.” “…in Johannesburg…on Christmas Eve&bad things happen” **************************************************** 11 Nov 2006 We love it when South Africans come up with great ideas, we have been wondering when someone would do something interesting with cellphone pics and movies – here it is – SMS SUGAR MAN… Aryan Kaganof, the prolific writer/director of numerous feature films, shorts and video art has embarked on a world first. He is to direct the first 35mm feature film, shot on a mobile cell phone camera. Teaming up with producer Michelle Wheatley and Dv8/IMG Films Executive Producers Joel Phiri and Jeremy Nathan, the film is called “SMS Sugar...
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