Wednesday, March 10, 2010
I have to say that African Agenda certainly know how to throw a party.
The Sunday picnic thing was great, but last night’s Gala dinner (at which I reprised my role as “Accompanying Person”1 to Jo’s Official Delegate) at the Castle of Good Hope was awesome. Epic, even.
Being a bit of a photo geek I took the snappy cam along, because I suspected that the castle would be looking kinda groovy.
I was not disappointed 
.
The lighting throughout the castle was great.
It offered interesting interpretive-shadow-dance opportunities.
After dinner (starter – springbok carpaccio, great; main – lamb in a wotsit, okay; wine – reds, fantastic (springfield work of time, anyone?)) there were Fire Dancers. On the roof, too!
Then, a band, playing an eclectic mix of old & new, local & foreign that kept the crowd jumping and bumping. First pic below was about 30 seconds into their first song.
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1 – or possibly as CEO or Accompanying Person Pty, Ltd.
Wednesday, March 10, 2010
noun. When one’s voice becomes high-pitched and squeaky from frustration at doing administrative tasks.
Inspirational hat tip: Wordlustitude, which I have somehow only recently RSSed.
& The Wow.
It’s not often I overcome my laziness and write much here, but: China Miéville’s latest book, The City & The City? Wow. With extra wow sauce and a side of wow salad.
I can’t / won’t do a proper analysis of it, so let’s just say that it’s one of the best books I’ve read in the past few years and that it’s amazing and that you should go and read it.
To borrow and mangle a pull quote from the back of the Snuff Box DVD: it makes every other book on the shelves feel like a rotten swizz.
The depth and quality and layering and writing and sheer quality of TC&TC is so far head and shoulders above most of the fiction on the shelves at the moment that it’s hard to understand how other writers sell any books at all.
Ok, I may be going overboard a bit here, but it is very, very, good.
Um…
bye!
… to recover from this one!1
And have a busy week ahead.2
And it’s still damn hot.3
KGwafnak! :-/
And now, to work.
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1 – taking photos at Gay Pride Parade on Saturday4, followed beers and burgers5, 6, following by usual suspects for dinner, taking photos at Navy Festival on Sunday7, followed by lunch at Fsh in Kalk Bay8, followed by Actuarial conference welcome picnic thing at Leeunwenhof9 (ask me about the security – wew!).
2 – but all fun stuff. Seeing people, eating and drinking lots .
3 – very difficult to sleep last night… 
4 – awesome as usual, stinking hot as usual, pics to follow from the Big Gay Threesome of Barners, AHS and Parfait Barners (flickr stream currently showing last year’s great pics).
5 – insert witty comment about beefcakes followed by beefcakes here.
6 – we went to Hudsons on Kloof. Great burgers, Jack Black on tap.
7 – which was groovy, but super, super, hot. We (Parfles & I, Betty & Panic, Ottie) got about halfway through all the stuff there and called it a day. Too… hot…
8 – which was really great. Great food, great cocktails, great big umbrellas. I’m seriously considering this for one of my Salty Cracker venues.
9 – which turned out to be much nicer than expected. Met lots of cool people, mostly actuaries – shocking!
Monday, February 22, 2010
Wednesday, February 17, 2010
Had a lovely weekend away to Knysna with The Andrews (Local and Vocal, as I dubbed them, for the purposes of the trip) and The Dominating Spousii.
Bit too stressed out now and have work piled too high to write much, but it was great to get away for a couple of days (went off Friday morning, came back Sunday afternoon).
Spent lots of time in forests and gardens and things, and was very, very, relaxed.
Had a very fun drive up, too. Two cars, six people, lots of promiscuous passenger swapping.
Annoyed that I have to be back at work, but really looking forward to me and Parfles both finishing our big projects and taking more time off.
Grump!
Wednesday, February 17, 2010
From a few days ago…
FSM on the right from The Doc, and cool swirly ornament from Aki, IIRC.
Tuesday, February 9, 2010
From last night’s (rather good) dinner with SMS, Teh Doc and the Evil Landlord.
Unfortunately, the menu board was attacked by a graffiti hooligan indentifying himself only as e-man.
Any information regarding potential suspects should be forwarded to the proprietor at the usual address.
Tuesday, February 9, 2010
The new weirdness.
Some interesting animals:
high kicking double-winged bat,
the octopoid from the black lagoon,
Totem TM.
Also, the introduction of letters into the construction of monsters.
See Yot the 2nd on the left, the Assss snake on the right, etc.
I very rarely de-lurk on the sites of people I don’t know in real life, but Draw Your Own Thrilling Space Adventure by the most excellent and talented Kevin Cornell looked like too much fun not to.
Click the pic to embiggen.
