A rather decent afternoon out

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We were lucky enough to get box tickets to see the Boks play the All Blacks. And we had a really great afternoon out. And what a view the box had. This was during the warmups.

The atmosphere, the gees, the actual match second half of the actual match, the winning try scored right underneath us. The excellent service and free-flowing drinks. A very cool day, all in all.

And with that winning try, South Africa won the Freedom Cup, and all but sealed the The Rugby Championship 2024.

And a lovely touch as we left the well-planned, well-executed event at the Stadium – nice work, City of Cape Town – the biggest national flag I’ve ever seen. (It’s generally not something that I keep a record of, but I can’t think of a time I’ve seen a bigger one.)

It’s certainly reignited my appetite for live sport, and for going along to the stadium again. I was there for the first and second ever events they held there, and several – or more – since, but it’s been a while.

Not so long again.

Sean Lock on internet gambling

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Wow. I miss Sean Lock. I just wish there could be more to enjoy.

If you’re in South Africa (I am) and you watch the football (I do), then you can’t not have noticed the range of adverts that pervade the pre-game, post-game and half time viewing experience.

Second rate alcohol (Royal Flush gin, Billiato, Honor Cognac) and ALL of the internet gambling*.

But it takes Sean Lock to actually put it in perspective.

Internet gambling. Not the gambling itself, just the level of advertising. It’s ridiculous. The bombardment. I worked out that I haven’t been encouraged to do something as much since potty training.
Both parents standing over me going “Go on, Sean. Do a wee-wee on the potty. Go on then. There’s a good boy. Do a wee-wee.”
And I’m sitting there going, “Oh, I really want to impress them. I’ll do a wee-wee on the potty.”

And now it’s like: “Go on, Sean, put a bet on. Mansfield are bound to beat Derby 3-1. You’d be crazy not to put a bet on that.”

OK. Alright. It’s not the best punchline. But it’s a good point.

* I totally recognise that 6000 miles…  is occasionally complicit in this. (But I need the money.)
(To fuel my internet gambling habit.)
(Brought about by the advertising.)

Misplaced review

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I understand that the posts I do about music don’t often hit everyone’s spot.
That’s ok. I get it.

But this one might be different if you’re willing to do a bit of looking through this Youtube or Spotify catalogue.

I spotted this on Instagram, of all places. And the caption was:

I listened to this, and so now you have to.

And I get that different people have different opinions on things (see above), and that’s (mostly) ok, but wow.

For me, this is really, really beautiful.

The ending. Goosebumps.

I thought that I’d shared something from PMJ on here before, but if I did, I can’t find it.

Maybe I thought I should, and then something important happened.

Sorry.

Postmodern Jukebox, also known as Scott Bradlee’s Postmodern Jukebox, is a rotating musical collective founded by New York based pianist Scott Bradlee in 2011. Postmodern Jukebox is known for reworking popular modern music into different vintage genres, especially early 20th century forms such as swing and jazz.

It’s important to understand that not everything makes sense when converted to 20’s and 30’s jazz. But when it does… it really does. Habits works. Black Hole Sun works. The Smiths in country style – amazingly – works. Creep is – of course – hypnotisingly beautiful.

The huge range of artists they cover, the varying sets and costumes, the occasional monochrome, the special guest artists on each track, the different genres employed. It all adds to a pretty cool listening and viewing experience.

There’s even one for the TA (if he’s got this far!)*.

Give it a go.

Youtube channel.
Spotify link.

* Let me know, hey? 😉

Out

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Woken up to a power outage. A big one, apparently: everywhere south of Worcester is out. That means I’d have to drive at least two hours to find anywhere with electricity.

And there’s no ETA for a fix yet.

It seems likely that the internet here will fail at some point soon, given that it works on batteries when there’s no mains supply, so I thought I’d get this up while I can and maybe add to it later.

In the meantime, I’m going to fire up the emergency camping stove and make some coffee.

How Do Online Casinos Change the Way We Play Online?

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Over the past two decades, we have witnessed a massive revolution in the gambling landscape. From visiting brick-and-mortar casinos to enjoying a game of poker on your smartphone, gambling has really changed.

In this piece, I will review how online casinos have changed how we gamble.
Without further ado, let’s jump straight into it.

Social Interactions

Online casinos have tried their best to recreate the feeling you would get at a physical establishment while playing on your phone. This goes as far as integrating social features. When you play on renowned sites like Betway, you will discover in-chat features allowing you to communicate with your opponents.

Integrating social features is genius because it adds an extra kick because you know you are playing against actual people. You can also invite your friends and play regardless of your location. 

Additionally, punters can log on, interact, and exchange ideas in several forums and communities. This feature furthers the online gambling narrative, ensuring sustainability. 

Financial Flexibility

If you are a seasoned punter, you can attest to the shift in monetary systems involving casinos. From traveling to Vegas with large money-stuffed duffel bags to using bank methods like cheques and cards to paying through digital assets, this landscape is continually changing.

This flexibility makes playing easy since depositing and withdrawing your cash is no hassle. Before settling at an Online Casino, review whether their transaction processing speed is quick, since, on some platforms, you may wait a while before transacting. 

Aside from being flexible, some solutions, like cryptocurrencies, are cheaper alternatives in terms of transaction fees. 

Advanced Technology

We are fortunate enough to live in an era characterized by cutting-edge technology. These advancements have spilled over into the online gambling industry, ensuring an unmatched gaming experience. 

For instance, we can talk about how virtual and augmented reality have shaped the wagering space. With a set of VR headsets and some motion controllers, you can enter a digitally curated virtual casino equipped with a poker table and slot machines and play.

You can even interact with other players through their avatars. Spatial sound technology also helps deliver the best sound quality, increasing the level of immersion.

Game Varieties

Can you imagine if you logged onto a website that had poker as the only game? That would lead to monotony instantly. Modern casinos like Betway offer a variety of games to prevent this situation. 

From poker to online slots and roulette, you name it, most online casinos have it. This feature can help you fine-tune your interests and skills by trying the games that best suit you. To make them more interesting, these titles may have interactive elements like leaderboards and achievements. Additionally, they are constantly updated to improve their quality. 

Final Thoughts

Online gambling is one of the best things that has happened to punters. Technology has given us several innovations, like virtual reality, that have massively shaken up the wagering scene. Some features that have also taken effect include social interactions and financially flexible solutions.