Nicisms

I’m trying to get fit, healthy, sleep properly and feel like a human being again.

But it’s tough. I decided three weeks ago to get back in to an exercise regime. This is obviously coupled with trying to maintain a healthier diet.

The Gym and activity I don’t have a problem with, 4 days of gym a week and at least 1 day of another activity (mostly Golf) makes up my 5 days of training.

I haven’t stopped smoking yet. I’m working on that as we speak (by resisting the urge to go for a smoke right now).

The most challenging part of getting fit and healthy again is definitely the food. I love food. I’m Greek and it’s in our nature to be extreme. We love oil, sugars, fats, rich food, meats and anything that makes you feel like sleeping after eating it. This is a problem.

So I am trying to cut our or cut down on oils, sugars, fats and carbs after 6pm.

I’ll see how things go.

Social media’s almost dead so let’s move on to mobile. Presenting Mobile Web Africa.

OK, so social media isn’t almost dead but the fact remains that mobile is the now, new, next best thing. In fact, it’s not even the next best thing. It’s the best thing since social media and it’s here.

Vincent Maher just announced on his blog that The Grid is platinum sponsor for the event which will have some of the most prominent minds and personalities in the local mobile industry as well as some African speakers to engage with.

Some of the local regulars will be present but this time under the spotlight of mobile and the current developments happening.

This conference is finally something that doesn’t have a social media (web too point 0h n0) slant to it.

If you think you know, you have no idea.

Get on it.

One man controls over 250 million people’s profiles world wide. That scares me.

Ster-Kinekor ruined District 9.

Not only for me but for an entire Cinema of ±300 people last night.

Let me make it clear that this is NOT my review of District 9. That will follow. This is a post expressing my extreme sadness, disappointment and frustrating horror at the way that Ster-Kinekor handled a cinematic breakdown.

To begin with move didn’t start on time, which isn’t a massive problem for me but it adds to the frustration that I feel now.

We then all pile in to the cinema. I decided it was a good idea to see this movie in a big Cinema at trusty old Sandton City. So we took up our spots in seats B6 and B7 in Cinema 10, Sandton City at the 19:45 show.

The adverts and trailers went off without a hitch ofcourse, these are the people who are paying Ster-Kinekor to ensure that things run smoothly not us, the end viewer. But then the actually movie started and things went downhill from here.

For the first 30-40 minutes of the movie there was an unbearably loud cracking sound.

Most people in the back 5 rows stopped and turned around to see what it could be. To give you an idea of the sound, pick up that magazine next to you, go to your dining room table and with all your strength smack the magazine on the table. That’s the sound we were fighting with.

Then I got up to inform someone of the noise because no one else in the cinema was moving. So I get up and miss about 6 minutes of the film looking for someone to speak to.

But no one is around, no one is monitoring the film. Eventually I find someone who meanders up to the room where technical things happen.

For the next 15 minutes the cracking went from a crack to a click to no sound in the left speakers to no sound in the right speakers to gone.

Then it was gone and we were good to go for the next chunk of the film.

But then the sound started to disappear and this is where I begin to get seriously irate. We are moving towards the climax of the film and people are clearly starting to get agitated with the situation.

Then the sound is gone.

It just stops and for about 4 minutes nothing happens, no one fixes it and no one comes in. And then the sound and the picture are gone and the lights come on, in the middle of the climax of the first South African Blockbuster film, Ster-Kinekor stops the film and turns the lights on.

Some cocky, arrogant person (one can only guess he was a manager) strolls in the cinema and says:

“Everybody stay calm,” Calm? Calm I hear you say. I am calm.

I am not panicked but what I want is for you to stop stuffing about and put the movie back on.

He stammers out something of an irrelevant apology: “We’re sorry but there is no way to remind, we are trying to fix the problem but that’s all, just stay calm and relax.”

RELAX?

And that was that. The film that I have blogged about and waited to see for months was ruined by this arrogant little manager who didn’t, couldn’t even offer up a proper apology.

Ster-Kinekor destroyed my experience of District 9 and I didn’t even get an apology.