Review: What the BLEEP is this movie?
Our resident Represent realist and movie fanatic Aquoibon was urged to watch this movie “What the Bleep do we know ?” . Aquoibon thought the film was a load of k*k getting way too much undeserved media and public attention – what do you think? Lame or Lovely? We warn you he shoots straights from the hip. Review: What the Blee…p do we know? I should have known better, the DVD cover design was threatening enough to warn me. At first, I cursed my TV set, thinking it was switching on it’s own to some Glomail infomercial, but when they started talking about quantum physics, I figured out they weren’t selling vacuum cleaners. Here is a short description from the movie’s website (whatthebleep.com) : “WHAT THE BLEEP DO WE KNOW?! is a new type of film. It is part documentary, part story, and part elaborate and inspiring visual effects and animations. The protagonist, Amanda, played by Marlee Matlin, finds herself in a fantastic Alice in Wonderland experience when her daily, uninspired life literally begins to unravel, revealing the uncertain world of the quantum field hidden behind what we consider to be our normal, waking reality. The fourteen top scientists and mystics interviewed in documentary style serve as a modern day Greek Chorus. In an artful filmic dance, their ideas are woven together as a tapestry of truth. The thoughts and words of one member of the chorus blend into those of the next, adding further emphasis to the film’s underlying concept of the interconnectedness of all things.” First of all, the plot, cast and directing of this “fantastic Alice in Wonderland experience” could make your Saturday night soft-porn flick look like an award winning piece. Marlee Matlin impersonates an irritating camel-toed photographer, who goes through a very uneventful life crisis, but (warning, spoiler ahead) she turns out ok at the end and she even draws little flowers all over her body because she loves herself so much. Sickening! The “inspiring visual effects and animations” are hard to describe. Oros man meets the under-budget matrix??? As for the “fourteen top scientists and mystics” they interviewed. Here’s a couple of them: – JZ Knight (also called Ramtha) : Leader of the Ramtha’s School of Enlightenment. Ramtha is the name of a being that JZ Knight claims to channel. Knight asserts that Ramtha is a 35,000 year old spiritual being who was, according to Knight, “a Lemurian warrior who conquered the continent Atlantis and later became enlightened.” MORE ON RAMTHA – Dr. Joseph Dispenza : A chiropractor that, strangely enough, belongs to Ramtha’s School of Enlightenment. What does a chiro has to...
UPDATE – a $100 laptop for every schoolchild? Or not?
UPDATE!! Here’s an update on the laptops – looks like we may not get them after-all: Click here for the full article from tectonic.co.za:“According to MIT, the target price of $100 (or R653.66 at current conversion rates) should come down after the initial launch. Integrated prototypes of the Gen-1 laptop are expected in the third quarter of 2… 006, and manufacturing should start in the fourth quarter, with 10 to 15 million laptops expected to be shipped by the first quarter of 2007. Recipients of the laptops will most likely include Brazil, Thailand, Egypt, the State of Massachusetts in the US, Cambodia, Costa Rica and hosts of the last WSIS forum, Tunisia. South Africa was initially included in the list as a recipient of 1 million laptops, but Fantus Mobu from Sita’s procurement department told INET Bridge that SA had no commitment to purchase the laptops. This is despite the fact that one of the MIT professors leading the project – professor of education and media technology, emeritus for MIT’s Media Laboratory, Seymour Papert – was born and educated in South Africa, and was an active member in the anti-apartheid movement.” If anyone knows anymore on this – please do enlighten us…. ******************************************** 7 Oct Thanks to Stoffel for this great story, the MIT have designed a $100 laptop for every school-going child in developing countries – SA has apparently ordered a whole bunch – Fabulous – Can you just imagine what this investment in our children’s education will do for our country – MIT and Google – You rock! This summary is from THE ECONOMIST, however CLICK HERE for a full treatment from the BBC: The idea is as audacious as it altruistic: provide a personal laptop computer to every schoolchild-particularly in the poorest parts of the world. The first step to making that happen is whittling the price down to $100. And that is the goal of a group of American techno-gurus led by Nicholas Negroponte, the founder of the fabled MIT Media Lab. When he unveiled the idea at the World Economic Forum in January it seemed wildly ambitious. But surprisingly, it is starting to become a reality. Mr Negroponte plans to display the first prototype in November at a UN summit. Five countries- China, Brazil, Egypt, Thailand and South Africa-have said they will buy over 1m units each. Production is due to start in late 2006. How is the group, called One Laptop Per Child (OLPC), able to create a laptop so inexpensively? It is mainly a matter of cleverly combining existing technologies in new ways. The laptop will have a basic processor made by...
Review – a weekend in Munster
Our Durban D-VA has been gallivanting down the luscious mango tree lined South Coast of Kwazulu / Natal – she popped into the small town of “Munster” to see what was on offer… she found a lot of chill time which sounds just like what we need… D-VA stayed at Casa Caroline – an affordable no-frills place to lay your weary body – here’s her take: “For those planning a holiday… to the Eastern Cape or the old Transkei and would like to break your journey between Durban and your destination; or for Durbanites wanting to escape the routine of the same-old same-old beaches and streets of your city, Munster is a very good option. Situated between Margate and the Wild Coast Sun, near the border of KZN and the Eastern Cape, it is something of a well-kept secret. Casa Caroline, Munster, is a new self-catering accommodation option that allows you to enjoy all that the area has to offer. So – you can enjoy the Wild Coast Sun, if that’s your thing, or just for the experience of it, without the expense of staying there; and you can enjoy the restaurants and nightlife of Margate and Ramsgate, minus the holiday crowds. Caroline Lynch has converted two wings of her house into self -catering holiday flatlets, each able to sleep four. Cottage One, where we stayed, has a partial sea view, tiled floors, and is simply but comfortably decorated – a no-frills, no-fuss pad only 5-minutes walk to the beach. Munster beach takes you back to your childhood with seashells galore, rockpools to explore, a lagoon and even a rusty piece of shipwreck for those “isn’t-South-Africa-beautiful” photo opportunities. During our visit, we cycled the maze-like, overgrown suburb; ate in front of a massive “Discovery-Channel” fish tank at the Wild Coast Sun; floated like otters in the sea; and read magazines in the sun on the patio of the cottage. Well worth a break to somewhere obscure but simple and laid-back. CASA CAROLINE MUNSTER Rates: Rates from R300 – R500 depending on season. Although bath towels are provided per person, you need to bring your own beach towels. Cooking facilities are basic (gas, microwave, no oven) but the communal braai area will satisfy most South African holiday makers. Contact: Caroline Lynch Cell: 072 478 9364 Tel: 039 319 1153 EMail Caroline DISTANCE TO MUNSTER: 9km north of Port Edward 157km south of Durban 732km from Johannesburg...
COMPETITION! Win tickets to Summer Storm – NOW!
We got a set of DOUBLE TICKETS to give away to the HOT HOT HOT 5fm Summer Storm tour tomorrow night at the Groove Bar – sounds really awesome. Simply EMAIL the Editorista on editor@represent.co.za with the answer to the following: Name three DJ’s that will be performing at the Joburg Summer Storm… Competition ends midnight on the 1 Dec.NG The 5FM Smirnoff Summer Storm Tour will be blazing through Johannesburg, Plettenberg Bay, Durban and Cape Town this December. Get your summer party gear in shape to face the freshest local sounds at some of SA’s hottest clubs. Groove Bar in Midrand, Johannesburg on Friday, 2 December, gets the storm brewing with a Roger Goode sundowner set from 6pm and a live broadcast of The Nicole Fox Show (7-10pm). The broadcast will also include exclusive sets from 115 DJs Octave, Kid Fonque, along with Roger Goode and others plus a live performance by Pro Kid. Following Nicole’s show, 4 dance floors open to engulf your senses in a tornado of lightning and sound. Roger Goode, Craig de Sousa, Ryan Dent, Craig Massiv, G-Force, Miss Red, Tim White, Mbuso and Euphonik are just some of the DJs who will ensure your senses are blasted into a storm. Soul Candi and House Afrika are hosting their own individual areas, along with Nicole’s Foxy 5-floor – featuring only female mixing talent. Are you ready for the storm? Tickets for Johannesburg are available via Computicket for R90; R100 at the door (from 5pm on 2 December). Bikini Bar in Plettenberg Bay is hosting The Goode Doctor’s sundowners and Nicole Fox’s broadcast on Saturday, 10 December. The party storm moves to Club VIP after Nicole’s show at 10pm. Thursday, 15 December (the next day is a public holiday) sees Roger Goode standing in for Nicole 7-10pm from Tilt in Durban. The 5FM Smirnoff Summer Storm Tour concludes in Cape Town at Miam Miam on Thursday, 22 December. Roger Goode is again delivering the sundowner-set as part of The Nicole Fox Show (7-10pm). Go to www.5fm.co.za for more info. More details on Plettenberg Bay, Durban and Cape Town still to be confirmed. These 3 cities will feature live performances by Flash Republic (feat Tamara Dey) as well as various other 5FM personalities. Entry into the events are exclusively for people over the age of...
Representers – call to AIDS action! Click Here.
One of our much loved Represent readers, Cornelia, who is doing her Masters in Aids Research, has kindly compiled our WORLD AIDS DAY feature for the 1 December – it contains the LATEST information on HIV/AIds in SA. Thank you Cornelia for taking the time to fill us in and helping us understand what is going on right now. You will see at the end … of this posting there is a document that highlights the LATEST information regards HIV/AIds – if you would like the complete document, please click here to email Cornelia. Represent sends our full support and respect out to all those people infected and affected by HIV/AIDS. Let’s work together at combatting the spread of this scourge and communicating the positive messages around living with HIV/AIDS. Take a moment to read her thoughts, we’re asking all Represent readers to make a commitment to the fight. To email Cornelia please click here. ********************************************************* Aids is not a disease, although the virus has killed millions. Aids is not a set of statistics, although the numbers are horrific. Aids is not a conference in Durban. Aids is not a presidential PR problem. Aids is not advertisements and education programmes, although these help. Aids is a feeling of hopelessness and despair. Aids is young people who believe they’re immortal. Aids is a secret known by everyone. Aids is not knowing what’ll happen to your children when you’re gone. Aids is people who are part of families. Aids is everyday life carrying on against the odds. – 13-year-old child in Natal ************************************************************** The 1 December is World AIDS day. Historically, World AIDS Day has been organised by UNAIDS, but this year (2005) UNAIDS handed over responsibility for World AIDS Day to an independent organisation known as The World AIDS Campaign (WAC). Every year World AIDS Day is themed. This year the theme is “Stop AIDS: Keep the Promise”. “Keep the Promise” is an appeal to governments and policy makers to ensure they meet the targets they have agreed to in the fight against HIV and AIDS. This theme is however not specific to World AIDS Day alone, but to the work the WAC does throughout the year. It will also remain the focus until 2010. “If we were to find ourselves in a situation where only the elite and rich are protected from the biological, social and economic devastation caused by HIV, it would have been our choice. If all of us became more acutely aware of our own agendas, and how they assist or impede the realization of a healthy South Africa, the future may arrive sooner than what...
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