RIM, you’re dead to me now

Reblogging this post from Jim Kerstetter, a senior executive editor at CNET News on the recent Blackberry problems.

I can’t believe you did this, RIM.

I’ve stuck up for you for years.
When the iPhone came out, I said, “Looks great, but what kind of security does it have?”
When Google and its posse of handset makers started selling quite lovely smart phones, I said, “OK, sure, but what about network reliability?”
And when Microsoft came out with its new Windows Phone stuff, I said, OK, I didn’t really say anything at all.

I’ve endured taunting by my wife, as she caressed her precious iPhone. I’ve tried to explain to my daughter when she asked why my phone doesn’t have cool games like her mother’s phone, that my BlackBerry is a work tool, you see, and I have no time for such things. I’ve even endured the giggles of coworkers who can’t believe I’m such a fuddy duddy, sticking with you. “For God’s sakes,” they say, “embrace the future.” And when things got rough with the other families, I even sent you to Vegas to learn the casino business.

But this gaffe, this is too much. I woke up yesterday and did the first thing I always do: I went to my BlackBerry to check my e-mail. This simple act is, mind you, very important to me. Has a big story broken overnight? Is there a crisis I need to deal with? I’m sure I’m not the only person who does this every morning.

And you know what I saw? That’s right, nada, nothing since about 5:30 PT (I’m sure other people experienced slightly different outages). I waited. I saw your apologies on Twitter and on your site. And on TV. I appreciated that you care. Really, I did. I’d have appreciated it a lot more if you didn’t go down for more than a half a day, of course.
Here’s the thing about BlackBerry users: We’re people who, at least when it comes to our phones, appreciate function over form. We’ve stuck with our little, not terribly stylish bricks because they worked. They didn’t drop calls at bad moments. The e-mail came in and was easy to access. The point was simplicity, lack of worry. It just worked.

Can I really say that now?

Last night, before I went to bed, I saw my e-mail reappearing on my phone and hoped, really hoped, that even more new e-mails would be there in the morning. They were. Thank you for that. And I’m sure a few million government employees, along with President Obama (I think), were happy to walk into the office this morning a little better informed about what their day was going to bring.
But this may have put me over the edge. You broke my heart, RIM. You made me look all kinds of foolish. Saturday morning, I’ll be looking for a new phone. I won’t be visiting the BlackBerry section.

(Emphasis by me)

Just the right amount of humour and personality in there to make us understand that this has affected him personally, rather than it being just another tirade over the server problems which took the BB network down for a couple of days earlier this week.

But Jim hits the nail on the head with his observations on Blackberry users. It’s function over form. The function? Well, it’s BBM (for the young guys), it’s the “free” internet for the older ones. The form? Well, it’s non-existant:

A lack of new products, a lack of innovation, a particularly pathetic tablet offering, a lack of decent apps and some strong competition from Android and Apple that RIM seem to have no answer to and it really looks like they could be headed the same way as Nokia.

As Jim says:

The point was simplicity, lack of worry. It just worked.

Now that one advantage has been lost as well.

And when you add in the disrespectful lack of information given to their customers during the crash, the cross-platform loveliness of Whatsapp (iMessage – yeah, whatever) and the ever-decreasing costs of data, it’s suddenly looking very ropey for RIM.

So, BB users: Are you happy to stick with BB? If so, why?
Or are you, like Jim, ready to move on? Now or at the end of your contract?

PBH Update

Incoming from our friends at Ogilvy Cape Town: an update on Percy Bartley House – the Woodstock home for boys in need – which we covered last September.

Having found refuge at Percy Bartley House, a Woodstock home for boys in need, these youngsters are now gaining renewed inspiration for life through art; a medium that has not only transformed their home, but most recently their lives too.
Supported by two Woodstock-based companies committed to using their creative resources to uplift the area – Ogilvy Cape Town and Write on Africa – the boys have been attending weekly art classes this year where they have been learning not only different artistic styles and techniques, but valuable life skills too.

“We have been supporting Percy Bartley House since we moved into the community in 2006. Following the rejuvenation last in 2010, this year the focus has been on helping the boys develop their own creative skills as well as a healthy form of self expression,” says Gavin Levinsohn, Managing Director of Ogilvy Cape Town.

Further encouragement for the youths has also been found in their teachers, Mkwela Juma and Willard Kambeva, who have both triumphed over hardship. Both Zimbabwean born, the two suffered years of difficulties in South Africa as a result of the 2008 xenophobic attacks and met at a place of safety where they were appointed the group’s leaders. It was there that they made a decision to make change happen and have since been working together, using art to bring about social development in various disadvantaged areas.

Accompanied by their art teachers, Mkwela Juma and Willard Kambeva, the boys of Percy
Bartley House paint a mural outside their home which defines what hope means to each of them.

“Doing what I love always makes me smile and feel happy, it was a dream which has now turned into a reality and it gives me so much confidence,” explains Juma. “I believe that it is the beginning of being a part of the change that I want to see.”
“In working with Percy Bartley House, we have encouraged the boys to believe in themselves. Whether it is teaching them a new painting technique or how to draw, they can now express any idea or thought through art,” adds Kambeva.
This feeling is echoed by the budding artists, who comment: “We are learning a lot in the art classes, from mixing colours to working together as a team.” Adds another: “Art keeps me away from bad friends and off the street. It gives me peace in my soul!” Most importantly, the boys gain encouragement in expressing themselves through their artwork and aim to relay meaning in each piece they produce.

“It is an inspiration for the boys to be taught by people who themselves have seen art bring about change to their lives,” says Farlane Nsinale, director of the home and ‘mother-figure’ to the boys. Nsinale explains that the classes are helping the boys get in touch with their emotions and learn other skills at the same time: “Not only are they learning to appreciate and respect each other more every day, but they are even using the dictionary to look up words for graffiti style art!”

Ogilvy Cape Town sees the support of the home, as well as the ongoing upliftment of the Woodstock community as a key part of its creative contribution and, as part of the long-term plan, it will be assisting in the rebuilding a burnt down section of the home. The new section will create a larger space to welcome more youths in need, with the walls acting as creative canvases for reflecting their dreams and ambitions.

You can get more information about Ogilvy Cape Town’s awesome work with Percy Bartley House from Victoria Tatham on (021) 467 1174.

Gardening advice from Peter Shardlow

Today’s bit of gardening advice comes from Peter Shardlow of Kirstenhof, courtesy of his letter to the October issue of Popular Mechanics magazine.

Hey, it’s Nature
While the topic is being prioritised, let me add my contribution to the “Go green” campaign. If you have a bougainvillea that is struggling or not flowering, don’t waste time with fancy fertilisers: simply urinate on it. (Evidence suggests that this ability comes naturally to men.) You will see results in no time and you’ll also save water.

Sometimes, when analysing these sorts of letters, it’s kind of difficult to know where to begin.
This is one of those times.

So let’s turn to the science of all this.  The high nitrogen content of human urine does indeed make it a good candidate for a fertiliser. Add to that the fact that it also contains traces of phosphorus and potassium and it’s like Black Label for plants. Game on. But there’s nothing new or revolutionary about this. However, since Peter’s letter suggests that he has seen measurably improved results in his urine-treated bougainvillea, I’m sincerely hoping that he’s done this right.

What Peter needs is a control subject. If you’re not familiar with scientific parlance, what that means is that he needs something to compare his urine-soaked bougainvillea with: preferably another bougainvillea which hasn’t been weed upon. Ideally, these two bougainvilleas (bougainvilleae?) should be close enough to each other to experience the same atmospheric, meteorological and all other conditions, while their individual watering schemes should not affect the other. Only then can you accurately compare the two in a scientifically correct manner.

But why stop with wee?

Was Peter’s agile mind not piqued by the opportunities afforded to him by other bodily excretions? The one that jumps out at me (fortunately only in metaphorical terms) is faeces. We stick manure all over our gardens in order to prompt growth, so this almost seems like a no-brainer. Of course, human faeces can contain some really nasty bugs that you really don’t want lying around in your back yard, but this is science and we want flowers on our bougainvilleas (bougainvilleae?).

And while we’re on a roll, what about vomit? Won’t work, you say?
How do you know until you’ve tried?

Of course, we can’t allow the bougainvilleas (bougainvilleae?) to know which potential “nutrient” they are receiving. That might affect the results. This means that Peter can’t wander up to each plant and have a pee, squat down and lay cable or throw up on the soil. No – he must do that in the privacy of his own home and then feed the plants while they’re not looking. Preferably at night, since bougainvilleas (bougainvilleae?)  have notoriously poor night vision.

Ideally, Peter should also be “blinded” (not literally, although some of the thorns on those bastards can do you real damage) – so maybe Mrs Shardlow (if such a creatures exists) (and somehow, I’m struggling to picture that right now) should deliver the goodies to the plants so that Peter won’t be swayed into subconsciously skewing his results in favour of supporting his hypothesis.

I can almost picture Peter’s back garden now – a plot of bougainvilleas (bougainvilleae?) each 2 metres from its neighbour, each receiving a different sort of human-based excretion for its nutrition; Peter enthusiastically leaping in and out of the rows of plants with a tape measure and a notebook.

And while we’re on about him documenting his results, what’s this “in no time at all” nonsense?
Are you, Peter, perhaps suggesting here that as soon as you pee on a bush, it blooms?
As you do it? For real?
Do you, Peter, perhaps imagine that you have “magic wee”?
I can envisage an absolutely spectacular stage show here. A line of dull bougainvilleas (bougainvilleae?) in front of an expectant audience. On comes Peter Shardlow, to rapturous applause. Having acknowledged the audience, Peter turns his back [perhaps a drum roll at this point?], unzips his fly and urinates into each of the pots in turn, causing a riot of colour to burst forth.
The crowd (understandably) goes wild.
Peter, I have to ask, do you also poo rainbows? Because that would make a great finale.

Sorry. I digress. Often.

Look, what I’ve described above (before briefly branching out into contemporary performance art) is the rudimentary framework for an experimental protocol.
I’m assuming that’s pretty much what Peter did before writing in to PM. It’s what I would have done, had I the time or inclination to wee on my plants. Something which I can, of course, being male, do. In further evidence that there may not be a Mrs Shardlow and that Peter may have to advertise for an assistant for his ongoing work, our protagonist seems unaware that women urinate too.

They do, Peter. They do. Annoyingly regularly: especially when you’re on a road trip or when they’re pregnant. Ladies have to wee, otherwise they would explode – kidneys and bladder first – and that would be extremely unfortunate. Unless, of course, you could somehow contain the explosion (like in a really big tupperware or something) and then see if the leftovers made your garden flower better.
And in saying this I’m not advising or advocating that you explode women, Peter. That’s not a good thing to do.
Exploding women is naughty.

Finally, while I appreciate your efforts in attempting to save water, I feel that must remind you of some basic physics: “Matter cannot be created, nor destroyed”. Now, I’m aware that there are certain discussions around challenges to this theory at the present time, but special relativity etc etc not withstanding, I’m pretty sure it still holds true for wee. That is, unless you’re weeing at the speed of light (and if you are, you should really include that in your stage show). What I’m saying is that what comes out must, at some point, have gone in. You have to drink the water to make the wee. You are not saving water; you are merely utilising it in a different way.

Sadly, at the end of all this, I have to admit that I do have rather sorry-looking bougainvillea in my back garden and I was tempted to waste time with fancy fertilisers. Now, however, I will be adopting the Shardlow Principle and if my wife objects, I shall explode her.

Census 2011: Get informed

Lots of panicky, kneejerk comment on the story that criminals posing as census officials robbed a house in Kensington, Johannesburg yesterday, but blaming the real census officials for this is like blaming FNB for sending phishing emails.

Reading the report: “Symons said the doorbell rang and two men in green jackets told him over the intercom they were census workers”.
And that says it all, because census officers won’t be wearing green jackets.

As we said yesterday, census officials can be identified as follows:

1) A yellow satchel with the Census and Stats SA logos
2) An A3-size book with a map of the area on the first page
3) A yellow bib with the Census and Stats SA logo
4) A black cap with the Stats SA logo
5) An ID card with a hologram of the Census 2011 logo (SA map with the words “You Count” below it).

These persons can be verified by calling 0800 110 248 or 080 236 787 2, which is toll-free from a landline.

Who is to blame for this lack of knowledge? My Symons and his ilk or Stats SA for not getting the message out there?
I’ve seen an awful lot of information on the net, in the newspapers and on billboards, but maybe Mr Symons doesn’t read the papers, doesn’t go on the internet, doesn’t get out much.

Right now, it doesn’t matter whose fault it is, but it does prove that understanding the system is key in preventing this sort of thing happening more often. To that end, herewith two posters released by Stats SA via their Facebook presence which have a lot of useful information on them:

                

 Click on them to make them bigger and have a read.

I’d like to draw your attention particularly to the text in the small red box in the corner of that first poster:

Important:
If you do not want to grant an enumerator access to your home, you are not obliged to, but you are obliged under the Statistics Act  to provide your household information on the questionnaire. You may either self complete or give your information to the enumerator in your yard, over a gate or through a fence. It’s your choice.

Another note which isn’t mentioned clearly here is that fieldworkers work alone: “Do not allow more than one fieldworker into your home – if you are not sure , please contact 0800 110 248 or call your local police” say Stats SA.

And here’s a useful article from the M&G telling you what they are going to ask you about.

Please share this post (shortlink: http://bit.ly/SAcensus) and the information within as widely as possible: more informed people means less chance of incidents like the one above.

EDIT: Just interested to know – would you have known this information before you read it here?

Mountain Biker gets taken out by buck

Does exactly what it says on the tin:

Says YouTube user mscmcc:

Mountain Biker, Evan van der Spuy of Team Jeep South Africa got taken out by a RED HARTEBEES at amountain bike race at Albert Falls Dam. Check out this crazy footage which was taken by team mate Travis Walker on his GoPro Camera – The BUCK sure does STOP HERE with Evan van der Spuy aka #BUCKNORRIS

Top marks for adding the slo-mo and the super-slo-mo.

Africa ain’t for sissies…