hertenberger.co.za

So, it’s been quite a year! Probably the busiest I’ve ever experienced. A quick run down, should you have the inclination to be interested

Started building work in earnest during January and kept going until just about now. From pouring of the foundation to the construction of the roof and working on the interior. We’ve done more than I initially expected and we should be ready to move into a part of the house in late January.

Visited Australia (Perth, Melbourne, Gold Coast) in February, Dubai and Japan (Tokyo) in May, Germany (Heidelberg, Frankfurt, Ulm), Switzerland (Zurich) and Austria (Vienna) in June, Namibia (Windhoek), Cape Town and Durban more often than I care to remember.

Completed my PhD and graduated in September, and quit my job after 13 years.

Here’s to a peaceful and relaxed 2006!

Producers are still trying to find someone suitable to play the role of Vesper Lynd in Casino Royale. Charlize Theron is the latest in a line of actresses who has declined, after both Angelina Jolie and Scarlett Johansson were offered the role. With one month to go before production is to start, there is little time left. Wonder whether this has anything to do with the Bond girl curse?

via Science Fiction News of the Week

No matter what, not even da Terminada can sway the opinion of the Austrians! Because he didn’t listen to their pleas to spare the life of Tookie Williams, a California death row inmate, the town of Graz revoked Schwarzenegger’s honorary citizenship and freedom of the city. In a retaliatory move, Schwarzenegger has ordered the immediate removal from public buldings of his name and the use thereof for gain by the city.

Not even the T-1000 had it this rough!

via News24

Got a couple of hours in Johannesburg and nothing to do? Get over to Montecasino in Fourways and spend some time wandering through their bird garden. Interesting and informative bird shows are scheduled at various times during the day and excellent facilities make a visit worthwhile.

This place is especially good for youngsters to expend their energy while seeing some nature in the heart of the city!

Find essential details here.

The Google Story by David A. Vise provides an historic overview of the rise of the Google empire. Given that the story starts in 1997, the book can cope with providing a lot of detail in the space available. Everything is here, from Larry meeting Sergey to the IPO. I found the inclusion of chapters dedicated to individuals such as Charlie Ayers (Google’s chef) and Eric Schmidt (Google’s CEO) of particular interest.

Throughout, Vise paints Google as a cool company to work for and one whose products are groundbreaking. It is certainly true that Google has had spectacular success: taking on various competitors (Microsoft is one of them) and being able to generate money without giving away their secrets. Vise provides details of the concept and success of Ad Words, showing how the company generates enormous amounts revenue each year. A bit disappointing is the discussion of the Google digitization project, though one may excuse the author on the basis that, at the time of writing, the problems facing Google on a legal front were not exposed.

All in all an interesting, quick read. Recommended to anyone who has an interest in the rise of Silicon Valley ideas and the essential brainpower that drives the Internet.

Arnold’s Christmas message – couldn’t have said it better myself

Thanks, René!

So Sony decided to add rootkit software to some of their audio CDs. When users discovered the security holes opened by the installation, they immediately took action. Sony BMG’s initial response: “most users don’t even know what a rootkit is.” That didn’t help its image and certainly didn’t endear it to those affected. Almost certain court action to reclaim damages was the result.

Now, the lawsuit in Texas has been expanded to include the fact that the rootkit software would be installed even if the software installation is aborted or declined by the user. This means even those who don’t normally install this kind of software may have been affected.

via Spiegel Online

Planet Simpson by Chris Turner is a fairly exhaustive essay and study of the hit TV show and phenomenon “The Simpsons”. Any book about a family of yellow cartoon characters could be considered a cartoon in its own right. At least, one may consider it a light read with little subject matter worthy of discussion. I have news for you: weighing in at 470 or so pages with sentences like

When you watch the opening sequence of 8F20, you are watching a cartoon family watch a TV show that is a parody of a TV show that is a rip-off of the TV show you’re watching, and the rip-off being watched by the cartoon family parodies the actual show you’re watching while the show you’re watching parodies its own critics.

this is definitely not for the lazy reader. Also not for those who have an attention span just long enough for a single episode of The Simpsons (around 22 minutes, as Turner informs the reader). Generally, this is an enjoyable read. A certain pre-requisite is an appreciation for the Simpsons themselves. Turner provides a detailed overview of the humble beginnings of the show, includes an analysis of the most prominent characters and pays a tribute to the actors providing character voices. At times, the analysis seems slightly over the top and reaches for concepts and meaning that may simply not be intended – this is a cartoon, after all! The Canadian Turner cannot resist inserting some elbowing at his neighbours to the south, something that annoys me. Overall, an interesting book that sheds a fair amount of superfluous information on a cartoon reality that ceases to exist once the TV is turned off.

I’m Jean-Luc Picard from Star Trek’s “The Next Generation”. Except for the bald head, I guess that’s ok

It should – the fact that it doesn’t means it will die.