Just because it would make me feel better: Rant Alert #01

A couple of incidents that caught my attention over the last few days which I’d like to get off my chest:

Paranoia is a particularly nasty characteristic of human behaviour. It normally results in harmful actions being perpetrated against fellow human beings, and atrocities being committed in extreme cases. When governments are the perpetrators of violent reactions to perceived dangers it can get really ugly. The American government reaction to the 9/11 incident is a case in point.

The Israeli raid on the Gaza-bound humanitarian aid vessels which resulted in the loss of several lives, is the most recent incident of government paranoia. This dastardly act must be condemned in the strongest possible terms, and Israel made to make reparations.

Civilized governments are elected to lead, and demonstrate restraint when dealing with emotional matters. They are not elected to take the lead in demonstrating crass and violent behaviour. Off course, this rules out all those who govern un-elected or by force; crass behaviour is to be expected from them as despots can never be true leaders.

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I read with utter amusement today that the ANC is considering disciplinary action against trade union leader, Zwelinzima Vavi (whose union happens to be an ally of the ruling party), for revealing that senior ANC members exploit their political connections to enrich themselves, and are further involved in other acts of corruption.

Eh! excuse me but this revelation is not news to us; it’s no big secret at all, but a well-known fact. You’re just peeved that one of your own is confirming it. It’s not strange though, because the bastards who are involved in corruption, always seem to be in the dark about their own illegal behaviour.

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The North Korean soccer team arrived in the country today for the FIFA 2010 Soccer World Cup, with apparently very little fanfare. It’s to be expected though, as they are one of the lesser fancied teams in this tournament. They must be expecting to enjoy a little more freedom while over here; only if allowed by the Korean government chaperones that undoubtedly accompanied them.

While South Africa is by far a more  progressive and liberal country than North Korea, it may come as a bit of a shock to them to find out that we have a certain cabal in government, and a so-called leader of a certain youth organization, who are hell-bent on turning South Africa into a repressive shit-hole, just like North Korea.

Photo #4: The long and winding road

The long road to Nelspruit

Date and time taken: 17 February 2009, @ approximately 09H55

Nikon D40, 20mm focal length, 1/2000 sec exposure F/4, ISO 200

I captured this shot while on my way to visit the new stadium being constructed for the FIFA 2010 Soccer World Cup, in Nelspruit, Mpumalanga Province, South Africa. This area also known as Eastern Transvaal or the lowveld, is famous for its scenic natural beauty. Anyone travelling to the Kruger National Park from Johannesburg, must pass this way, on long winding roads which have now been upgraded from the narrow,  pot-holed roads of the past.

When I changed the look and feel of my blogsite (yet again :-)), I decided to use this photograph as a metaphor for the site: the long and winding journey on the path of knowledge and wisdom through critical thinking.

Big fuss over sounds of joy

I really don’t understand the big hoo-hah over the blowing of trumpets (known locally as vuvuzela’s) at the FIFA Confederations Cup matches currently on the go, at various stadiums around the northern half of South Africa.

I was at the Royal Bafokeng Stadium in Rustenburg last night, where I’m working 🙂 as a Venue Manager providing support for the Media-IT and Broadcast network, and had the privilege of witnessing the sheer ecstasy and unbridled admiration of the South Africans supporting their team affectionately known as Bafana Bafana. Accompanying the wild gyrations and joyous singing of the fans, was the unmistakable sounds of the vuvuzela, in varying degrees of loudness. There is no doubt that the sound it emits is loud, shrill even, but when blown by elated fans in unison, it has a hypnotic tone that screams “come join the party.”

However, there have been complaints by some grumpy members of the public about the noise it makes. These complaints seem to emanate from those people who have just heard the sounds over the television or radio; they have not actually been in a stadium surrounded by hundreds of singing, vuvuzela-blowing fans to experience its magical effect and the euphoric atmosphere it helps create. Thus far, I have heard of just one complaint from a soccer player; Xabi Alonso, playing for Spain. He says that FIFA should ban it (the vuvuzela) because it is not a nice sound to hear. Apparently that didn’t affect his team from thumping New Zealand, five goals to nil on the opening night of the Confederations Cup tournament. Now imagine if I could get every sound I didn’t like banned; Beyonce, Backstreet Boys, The Pussycat Dolls and a host of other pop stars, would become just bad memories.

There have been absurd claims by some that the vuvuzela is a South African, cultural phenomenon, but this is so far from the truth that it needs to be dismissed with utter contempt. The vuvuzelais not an artifact of African culture; it is just an instrument that helps express the pure joy being felt by a soccer fan, most of whom happen to be Black. If you were at the game last night between South Africa and the hapless New Zealanders, then you would have witnessed scores of White South African fans happily blowing the vuvuzela, albeit with some difficulty. At the after-match press conference last night FIFA President, Sepp Blatter summed it up quite nicely when he said:

“It’s a local sound and I don’t know how it is possible to stop it. I always said that when we go to South Africa, it is Africa. It’s not western Europe.” and “It’s noisy, it’s energy, rhythm, music, dance, drums. This is Africa. We have to adapt a little”

The vuvuzela is here to stay. Visitors to the FIFA 2010 Soccer World Cup next year, are in for a treat; a most amazing assault on the senses and an experience in pure joy. But the vuvuzela will require some stamina, an open mind and a willingness to have fun. I recommend that you pick up one at your nearest sports outlet and start practicing.

South Africa, third world? Hell, no!

I attended a briefing session yesterday at the Royal Bafokeng Sports Stadium just outside Rustenburg , in preparation for the FIFA Confederations Cup that is due to kick off on Sunday, 14 June 2009. After the briefing session we walked around the stadium precinct to all the various areas (zones) which will be frequented and used by the Press and Broadcast Media, photographers, players, officials etc.

Now, even though I was intimately involved as a Project Manager in  installing the IT & T and Broadcast WAN and LAN networks in this, and other stadiums which will be used during the Confederations Cup, I was still amazed as we viewed our handiwork,  by the complexity and sheer brilliance of all those involved in conceptualizing and designing this futuristic network. The billions spent to put all this together is dedicated to one thing only; ensuring that billions of soccer fans around the world can receive all the action from the stadium, through either a television or radio channel, the Internet, or a multitude of print media, and give their audiovisual senses a treat.

The organizers of the tournament, FIFA have left very little to chance, if anything at all. As you observe the cutting edge technologies and facilities deployed around the stadium, you realize that they have thought of everything. I have been personally involved with the planning, deployment and commissioning of the entire IT & T and Broadcast solution for just over a year already, but FIFA personnel have been busy for much longer. And we have only just begun, because the Confederations Cup is only the opening act for the main event – the FIFA 2010 Soccer World Cup, which will be held in exactly one year from today.

Imagine full high definition video of the matches being transmitted to every continent in the world almost instantaneously, and being watched by billions of people at the same time. Imagine photographers on the soccer pitch whose cameras are “plugged into the network”, taking high quality photographs practically every second, and having them transmitted to all corners of the globe immediately for editing and publishing. Imagine journalists interviewing different soccer players speaking a multitude of languages, at media conferences and having their responses translated immediately into a language of their choice, through headsets they are provided with. Imagine hundreds of journalists and commentators from a host of different countries having a dedicated Media area in the stadium grandstand from where to write, commentate, even photograph. Imagine a journalist based in one stadium, being able to “connect to” and cover a match taking place at another stadium entirely. The technology and facilities for all this, and much more will be available for the Confederations Cup.

And the most amazing thing is that it is all happening here on the southern tip of the African continent – a place which many people from overseas, still visualize as having wild animals running around in the streets. But maybe they’re not far off the mark; soccer stadiums featured in previous FIFA and UEFA tournaments are usually located in densely populated cities, but the Royal Bafokeng Stadium is situated in a semi-rural area, minutes away from Nature Reserves teeming with wild animals. What a treat for visitors coming to attend the soccer matches?

I feel privileged to be a part of such a huge undertaking, perhaps the biggest in the history of this country. In terms of the technology, skills, facilities and attractions, South Africa is up there with the best in the world, even surpassing world best in some areas.

Now, if only our politicians adopted some “first world” habits, we would really be laughing…