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by ligurza

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by ligurza

Well, as some of you know, I have left SysSops and joined up with a company called Currant Technologies in Cape Town, South Africa. Doing some really cool things. I have been thrown in the deep end with linux and learning very fast, at least I think so. I am busy working on a document management system using DoXFS by Joe Bacom.  He is currently helping me out getting it to work on RH9. He is extremely helpful and easy to talk to. 1st class chap.

by ligurza

Recent Movies

  • Anger Management: Hilarious! You can kind of only watch this once, but it's stillhillarious. (M-Net)
  • Jackie Brown: Part of the Tarantino DVD Pack. Excellent! So clever. (DVD)
  • Reservoir Dogs: Good movie, but not very thought provoking or anything. (DVD)
  • Blue Crush: OK. I admit this is not the height of cinematic perfection or anything, but the story is another inspiring peice of cinematography. When you put your mind to something, you can acheive just about anything. (M-Net)
  • Legally Blonde 2: Very very silly movie, but it was fun. Nice to have a mid week laugh at something completely ridiculous. First movie in a while I've watched with a Family rating. (M-Net)
  • Blade: Trinity: Not that bad. Went in with low expectations.
  • Elf: Kinda funny. One of those movies that make you feel bad about not having Christmas spirit, like so many other movies that are circulating on M-Net. (DVD)
  • Eurotrip: Excellent! Very funny and interesting. I wonder how much of Europe you can see in three days, with Jet lag? Fly into London and then go straight to Europe and then get back to London and fly home. Think that's cutting it a bit fine. Really good movie :)
  • Van Helsing: Pretty good. We paused half way through and watched a bit of theBritney Spears In the Zone special, which kind of breaks the momentum of an action movie. (DVD)
  • I, Robot: Very good. Inspired by Isaac Asimov, so... nuff said. Very verygood. I want a 2035 Audi TT please. (DVD)
  • The Hot Chick: Well. It's got Anna Faris in it, so :) Very funny. Rob Schneideris a bit of a prat. Go Pauly Shore! (See Celebrities Uncensored). Watch this after one and a quarter Amstel "Quarts". (M-Net)
  • Dawn of the Dead: Zombie movie. Was alright. The cinematography was pretty cool, nice effects at the end. (DVD)
  • Shaun of the Dead: Spoof of Dawn of the Dead. Really movie. British Humour, the best kind of humour. Really funny. (DVD)
  • Donnie Darko: Pretty decent movie. Looks like the inspiration for Butterfly Effect. Worth buying. (M-Net)
  • Igby Goes Down: My kind of movie. Reminds me of someone I know. Another one worth buying. (M-Net)
  • Texas Chainsaw Massacre (Latest): Wasn't all that bad. Not Oscar worthy, but fun none-the-less. Haven't had a movie scare me in a while. Oh, and it has Jessica Biel *drool* (DVD)
  • The Aviator: Excellent movie
  • Saved!: A pretty good movie. Not for everyone though. It was quite funny, with Jena Malone. (DVD)
  • Resident Evil: It was alright. Not that good, but who can complain about Milla Jovovich. (DVD)
  • Resident Evil: Apocalypse: Wow! The effects are awesome and Milla looks awesome again, even better than before. A sequel that's better than the first. (DVD)
  • Harold and Kumar go to White Castle: So funny. It's a good watch :) (DVD)
  • Star Wars Episode 3: Wow, wow, wow! Puts everything into perspective. We watched Ep4+5 over the weekend and everything makes more sense now. If you haven't seen it yet, go go go!! It was worth the 180 bucks I shelled out for the evening.

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by ligurza

Shopping list

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by ligurza

Good Quotes

  • User: a technical term used by computer professionals. See "Idiot".: Lots of funny WoW's
  • Who is more foolish; the fool, or the fool who follows him?
  • "The only thing necessary for evil to triumph is for good men todo nothing" - Edmund Burke: Bruce Willis movie where they evacuate people from Nigeria, called Tears of the Sun
  • Great minds discuss ideas; Average minds discuss events; Small minds discuss people.
  • "If you have never made a mistake, you have never tried anythingnew.": Albert Einstein
  • "How are you today?": I was fine this morning, then I got out of bed - Freaky Friday
  • "Tis better to remain silent and be thought a fool than open your mouth and confirm it"

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by ligurza

This past weekend was pretty awesome. Went out for the first time in ages. Deidre is out here from the UK, with her fiance, Richard. He's pretty awesome. On Saturday, we went to the V&A Waterfront and walked around awhile. We decided to go out on the Sunset Booze Cruise, aboard the Spirit of Victoria. Was really cool to be back on the water, under sail. Waves breaking over the bow & the wind in your air. Very cool  After that, we went back to the flat and pondering what to do next. We decided to go to Diva's Italian restaurant for Pizza. I had a very good Pizza with mince, feta & Pepperdew. Very filling. Also had a Long Island Ice Tea.

On Sunday morning, Deidre, Rob & Richard went to Blouberg for a stroll on the beach. Warren came around at about lunch time and they all went to Hout Bay. In the evening, we went to NewsCafe and Cubana. Very pleasant evening, but NewsCafe was pretty pricey. I had a Psycho Jack cocktail and 2 shooters with Frangelico. Frangelico is very nice. We went across to Cubana after that had a few shooters and a "Fruit Medley" Hubbly-bubbly. First time I've had a hubbly. After that, we came home and went straight bed.

Another quick note, on Friday, I went to do my first round of foreign exchange. They had no $1 bills, so I missed out on a few bucks, $3 or $4. Also, before we left on Sunday, I went through my Frommers book on Washington DC. There are so many places to see. Thinking, see the museums over two or three days, while at night after that, see the memorials. We will just have to see what happens. Really looking forward to it. Not long now

It is now Tuesday 05/04/2005 at 13:48:37
Event: Leave for USA
Scheduled For 31/05/2005  04:00 PM
1 month 26 days 2 hours 11 minutes 23 seconds or
8 weekends or
56 days or
1,346 hours (897 waking hours) or
80,771 minutes or
4,846,282 seconds

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by ligurza

From the weather service:

"National Warning - Issued on Monday, 11 April 2005 at 04.00
 
Isolated heavy falls are expected in places along the Cape south coast and over the adjacent interior, spreading to East London.
Gale force south-easterly winds (exceding 35kt) are expected in places between Table Bay and Jeffery'S Bay at first."

Attached a satellite image.
 
Started raining lightly yesterday, when we left Cape Gate shopping mall. Geoffrey said there was hail, big hail. See Geoffrey's pictures @ http://www.empyrean.co.za/pics/cpt_storm

It's very cold. Drove to work just now, windows all steamed up. Roads are flooded and there is debris all over. Cape Aghulas has been cut off from the rest of us, according to 5Fm News casts.

When I was driving back last night, the N1 just before Durban Rd had a tree fall on it and cars, I think.

Also check this, http://www.iol.co.za/index.php?set_id=1&art_id=vn20050409112957664C692735.

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by ligurza

On Friday night I drove out to Paarl. Parents have just got ADSL (!!!!!) I wish I had taken my computer with. After we got ADSL I should mom the sites for getting Travel Insurance and Tube tickets etc. I also checked out Greyhound tickets to New York. Apparently the Greyhound is very dodge. Full of drug dealers and stuff. If anyone has any comments about the Greyhound, please let me know. It's $45 each for that and like $132 for the train, so it would be great if we were to go, to take the bus. Other option is to rent a car, but then you have to find parking and stuff and most probably have to stay the night. Dad gave me all his maps and brochures from when he was in the USA, so I'm going to take a look through all that, get my bearings.

On Saturday morning, I went through to assist my dad with a site survey of this lavish guest house. There is a unit which we think could be a "pop-up" Plasma screen. Weird ostrich skin thing with an RF, power & telephone cord coming out. Strangest thing, which is really cool, is that there network points wherever there is power, and there is a lot of power. The kitchen is amazing as well. There is an LG side by side fridge with ice maker and cold water thingy. Then the basin has a garbage disposer, first time I've seen one of those. There is also a tap which puts out instant boiling water and ice water, but only the hot one was working. The pool and jacuzzi are also amazing. Reminds of MTV's Cribs, especially at R25 000 (+/- $4000 per night).

After that, I drove through to Kraaifontein for Johan's mothers birthday braai. Was loads of fun. They have a salt water pool and Johan threw this girl in, with her Motorola V150 in her pocket... Well, Lelanie and I tried to blow dry it, but to no avail. No more cell phone. Drank lots and generally had a good time. Johan's father set up a Hubbly Bubbly and we all shared it. Really nice atmosphere there.
I got home at about 23:50 and Rob was asleep. At about 03:30, the neighbours got home and become very raucous. They woke Rob up and he shut the patio door, at which point the girl as like, "Sorry!", then 10 minutes later they were making a noise again. Didn't get much sleep.

On Sunday morning I was up at 08:50, because Rob said there was a thing about cars on E! Was pretty cool, low riders and high end cars. We went out to get hamburgers and slap tjieps for lunch. I made those while Rob got the DVDs setup. We watched Saved! and the Resident Evil movies. Rob then out went and got Hackers and Harold and Kumar go to White Castle. After that, we watched a bit of Conan O' Brien, then I went to bed.

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by ligurza

Hello, in 6 days and 44minutes I leave for the USA. I will stopping over in London, UK, for 2 hours or so, then onto Washington, DC and Vienna, VA for two weeks of family visit time and sightseeing. For the purpose of a travel log, I have signed up with TravelBlog.org. This site is awesome, they send emails to a list of predefined addresses as soon as do an update, which will make things so much easier. It's going to be a real jol and will also be a nice relaxtion period before I start my new job on the 20th of June (2 days after I step off a London-Cape Town flight!!), but it's all good :D During the trip, I will add photos to my TravelBlog, but when I get back, I will stick some pics here and on Flickr. My TravelBlog is: http://www.travelpod.com/member/JamesRogers Well, this is probably my last post until I return to cold/wet Cape Town. Apparently the weather is very much like Durban. The temps will be in Farenheit, so I'm going to have to use my converter a lot :D For people that know me, I will be contactable on my South African cell phone via SMS only. Cheers, James

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by ligurza

Well, I advertised my iPod for sale about a week and a half ago and got suckered into selling it. The cheque bounced and now I am stuck without any recourse. I am now undertaking a mission to prevent this from happening to others. Just before I delieverd I googled for the supposed company and found nothing, so now I am going to enter all the information I can, for which I googled.

The guy's name is Gift Zuka. His brother's name is Bryton Zuka. The fax header said Ozic on it. They supposedly lived in Table View, Cape Town, South Africa. They are on CellC, so his number starts with 0848397*** and his "brother"'s 0849124***. His office number is 0215570***. I shall not publish complete number these numbers are no doubt stolen and will also, as I have found out, be passed onto other people. Just google the numbers. They will say that his checking with his accountant if they have petty cash. His so called accountant would have used everything for wages, so they will go to your bank and despoit the funds. It will show in your account has a cheque deposit. At this point, phone them and tell them you will wait to clear or they can cancel the cheque. He is supposedly going out with business associates so his "brother", Bryton, will pick it up from you. If at this point, you fell secure, then make the meeting place at the police station. These guys are operating in Table View. Ironically, in this case the police station was just across the road.
Pentz Road, Table View, next to Table View Mall, Table View, 7441
Phone 021 557 1512
Fax 021 557 0375

The serial for my iPod Video 30GB is 4V552RXJSZ9. It is white. It has the earphones, USB/Firewire cable, car charger, Griffin Digital iTrip, the original box. The iTrip was in the same box I bought it in with a Look & Listen price tag for R450 from Cavendish Square.
When I phoned this morning, they were in quite a busy sounding place. Yesterday, "Gift" was out and had left his cell phone at home. The first call, the guys said his name wasn't Bryton but on the second call it was. I think that either it is a group of people or Gift and Bryton are the same person. Today he said it was James' phone and that I had the wrong number, even though during the deal stage I spoke to them on both the numbers mentioned above.

Do not entertain this people. I know there is no legal recourse and that the police will do nothing. If anyone has a contact anywhere in a higher ranking police unit or a cheque fraud division, please email. I want these people to realise what they have done is wrong and they can not take advantage of people. This is not isolated to South Africa and this entry is no way racial bickering. A similar thing happened to me in the USA when I rented a car and left my 1 week old camera in the car. It happens everywhere but in the states the Fairfax County police actually made an effort and visited the site. Once I have recieved the "bounced" cheque, I will file an official police report. I am the fool in this case and I acknowledge the fact that I should have been more careful. Next I buy an iPod or similar devie, I will make sure that I add it to my insurance policy.

Please don't be taken into this scam.

Notes about the sale:

Advertied as being negiotable. When I mentioned this to "Gift", he didn't seem to care, because he had no intention of paying. He was buying for his son. He sounds educated. Lives and works in Table View alledgedly. The proof of deposit will have the words OZIC at the top. SMS/Calls come from CellC numbers. They turn off Caller ID.
Names used: Gift Zuka, Bryton Zuka
Reason for not being in person: Basketball, Meeting with Business associates.
Meeting place: Bay side mall.

Moral of the story: Don't accept cheques. If so, wait for clearance.

Repercussions: Your bank account freezes and you have to go to branch to unfreeze. You lose the iPod (or what have you) and the money. This exercise has cost me in phone calls, SMS's, time and my initial investment of R2000. This costly so beware.

If your'e iPod has been stolen, register the theft at http://www.secondhandmac.com/ and www.stolenipods.com

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