Are all taxi drivers evil?

Apparently not!

In the unanticipated continuing series about South African crime balls-ups, how about this one?!!

HA HA HA!

Irate taxi driver foils getaway of Obs thief

March 15 2006 at 09:29AM

From IoL

By Karen Breytenbach

A petty thief who stole a car radio in Observatory on Tuesday did not bargain on being busted by the driver of a taxi he jumped into for a getaway.

Soon after a woman parked her car near her house in Norfolk Road in Observatory on Tuesday morning she discovered her window had been smashed and her radio stolen.

A man ran away clutching the radio and jumped into a minibus taxi on Lower Main Road.

Suddenly the driver turned his jam-packed taxi around in the one-way street and sped back to the scene of the crime.

Real estate agent Joy MacNab witnessed the scene in front of her office in Sussex Road.

"He was no stereotypical taxi driver. He said he was tired of being the victim of theft and decided to have the crook arrested. So he turned around into oncoming traffic and dropped him off right there where the window was smashed. Three of my builders grabbed the suspect and held him down until the police van arrived a minute later," she said.

After his arrest, Woodstock police discovered the suspect was a member of the 26s prison gang they had been looking for for some time, she said.

"The greatest pity is that the taxi driver left before we could get his name. I wish we could phone him to thank him," said MacNab.

Brian Gray, head of the Observatory Civic Association's Safety and Security Committee, said he was very impressed with the police van's quick response.

"In fact, I would like to ask Woodstock Police's station commissioner for a commendation for officer Oupa Lupizo," he said.

Is there such a thing as "disorganised crime?"

After being really pissed off about yesterday's crime, I really had a good laugh at this one.

School chum 'shopped' accused
14/03/2006 20:04 - (SA)

From IoL

Nkosana ka Makaula

Nelspruit - A suspected armed robber was arrested when an old classmate recognised him.

Sam Lubisi, 36, of Naas near Komatipoort in Mpumalanga was arrested on charges of robbing a store of R14 000, after an old classmate saw him running and called out to him.

"You are always on the run, Sam, what have you done now?", yelled Zodwa Shabangu as he ran past her at the Naas Plaza on January 13 2004, shortly after the hold-up.

Lubisi's pursuers stopped to ask Shabangu about him and got information that led to his arrest.

This was heard in Nelspruit regional court where Lubisi pleaded not guilty on Monday to a charge of armed robbery.

He's accused of holding up a store and locking five employees into the stockroom.

The manager and another employee were able to give chase, and had to dive for cover each time the suspect turned to aim his gun at them.

When they heard Shabangu call out to the suspect, they stopped and asked her for his address.

She gave them Lubisi's address and police arrested him three weeks later in Pretoria.

Police never recovered the stolen money.

The case has been postponed to April 4 for the investigating officer to testify. Lubisi is out on R1 500 bail.

Who is South Africa's mafia?

Cash attacks: One of three cash-in-transit heists took place on the N1 South in Johannesburg, about 500m from the New Canada Road bridge. Photo: Dumisani Sibeko, The Star

There is no doubt in my mind that cash heists are connected. Yesterday saw five attempted cash heists and two retail robberies in Gauteng. This after a seeming lull in activity.

I am sure there is a story about some mastermind, living an apparently normal (albeit super-rich) life, who is pulling the strings behind all of these crimes.

And as usual there are the tragic stories of families who have lost fathers and breadwinners. Stories that nobody even thinks about anymore.

The story...

Heist gangs out in force in day of ambushes

Police arrested two suspects in five cash-in-transit heists in which a security guard was killed and three guards were injured.

Coin Security vehicles were involved in robberies in Joubert Park, in Riverlea and at Sunninghill Hospital in Johannesburg on Monday.

The last of the heists took place at about 5.30pm when two guards were ambushed as they walked to their vehicle after collecting money at the Meat-A-Rama Supermarket and Butchery in Joubert Park.

Continued at Iol

Are South Africans chokers?

Picture: media24

As Chris Roper says, this is the blog "with all of the questions and none of the answers."

Especially after this weekend. How were those Proteas!!! Truly the most amazing one-day cricket match in history.

But what a paradox. Compare this to their failure to drive it home in the third and fourth matches - where they lost their 2-0 advantage to go into the fifth and final match 2-2. Given the final, I'm sure at least one person muttered something about the box-office convenience...

And compare it to the diabolical Stormers, who have squandered commanding positions in three matches to lose. I was still bruised from Saturday night's disaster (final minute Stormers loss to the Hurricanes) when I endured the Australian batting innings in Sunday's match. Well, actually I got some chores done 'cause I couldn't bare to watch. Luckily I thought, I'll just watch the beginning of the SA innings...

When I was at school, we had a British cricket pro who assisted all the coaches with specialist instruction. I remember his departure speech, as he left to return to the UK, "South Africa seems to have unbelievable talent - just a lack of killer instinct."

It was amazing leaving school and playing club rugby. Guys who had been in opposing teams that had whipped us were suddenly team-mates. Combined with the fact that we were the strongest club in the Western Cape, this had an amazing effect on my self belief. First you realise that these guys who seemed invincible were just human. Secondly, you run onto the field with the expectation of winning - losing would be unacceptable, never mind unexpected.

The Sharks have imported Tony Brown. What would the effect of someone like Chris Latham (rated the world's best fullback, but in one of the bottom-placed teams on the Super 14 log) be on a South African team with ability but apparently lacking self-belief - like the Stormers? (Never mind the cringing thought of those Latham post-try celebrations for the moment).

Today newspapers are comparing the Cats under Laurie Mains - Super 12 semi-finalists - to the Cats under anyone else - nowhere men.

And the best biryani?

While I'm on the recipe thing, this chicken biryani is unbelievable!

No lentils in this one, but feel free to add.

Recipe from recipedelights.com

Basmati rice 2 cups
Chicken pieces 3/4 kg.
Milk 1/2 cup
Yogurt (curd) 1 cup
Thinly sliced onion 3
Ginger paste 1 tsp.
Garlic paste 1/2 tsp.
Green chilli paste 1 tsp.
Tomato puree 1/2 cup
Red chilli powder 2 tsp.
Turmeric Powder 1 tsp.
Roasted cumin powder 1 tsp.
Garam Masala Powder 2 tsp.
Green cardamom powder 1/2 tsp.
Saffron a pinch
Coriander powder 1 tsp.
Green coriander leaves 2 tbsp.
Salt to taste
Vegetable oil 7 tbsp.

Method:

1. Mix tomato puree, yogurt, ginger garlic paste, green chilli paste, red chilli powder, turmeric powder, roasted cumin powder, garam masala, coriander powder and salt. Stir well.
2. Marinate the chicken with this mixture and keep aside for 3-4 hours.
3. Heat oil in a pan. Fry the onions until golden brown.
4. Add the marinated chicken and cook for 10 minutes.
5. Add 4 cups of water to the rice. Mix saffron in milk and add to it. Add cardamom powder. Add the chicken pieces. Pressure cook the rice.

Mix gently. Garnish with green coriander leaves and serve hot.

What's the best bread recipe?

I'm an aspirant chef! That often lead to less than impressive results, but anyway - I enjoy the process.

Only thing is, there is no one who ends up with a bigger mess in the kitchen than me!

I haven't done a hell of a lot of baking, but this bread recipe is grrrreat!

From allrecipes.com

Clare's Whole Wheat Potato Bread

INGREDIENTS:
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups instant mashed potato flakes
2 1/2 teaspoons salt
2 (.25 ounce) packages active dry yeast
1 1/2 cups warm water
1 1/4 cups warm milk
1/4 cup margarine
1/4 cup honey
2 eggs, beaten
2 1/2 cups whole wheat flour

DIRECTIONS:
In a large bowl, mix the all-purpose flour, potato flakes, salt, and yeast. In a separate bowl, mix the water, milk, margarine, honey, and eggs. Beat the liquid mixture into the dry ingredients. Gradually mix in whole wheat flour until evenly moist. Knead 5 minutes. Place in a greased bowl, cover with a clean kitchen towel, and allow to rise until doubled in size, about 1 hour.
Grease two 5x9 inch loaf pans. Punch down dough, shape into loaves, and place in the pans. Allow to rise in pans 1 hour.
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Bake loaves 35 minutes, until lightly browned and hollow sounding when tapped.

Vain = Pain?

Probably. Especially psychological pain.

I've always envied those people who are so comfortable with their own appearance that they don't give it much thought.

I am generally happy with who I am.

There was one exception - and so I did something about it. It wasn't a huge thing, but something that I felt could be improved.

I am now recovering from a small cosmetic surgery procedure.

But wow, the pain was excruciating (and no it wasn't THAT procedure). I am now going through the recovery period and nervous as all hell.

If someone has a generally positive self image, and wants one or two things improved, I have no problem with plastic surgery. I think it is dangerous if someone sees a cosmetic procedure as a panacea.

All the same, I am feeling slightly weird about it. Oh well, I will feel just fine if it all turns out OK.

Jollywood? Collywood? Dollywood?

South African director Gavin Hood poses with the Oscar for best foreign film which his movie Tsotsi won at the 78th Academy Awards in Los Angeles. Picture: iol.co.za

Hopefully Tsotsi's success is the beginning of a burgeoning film industry for South Africa. Not just acting as a nameless production setting for foreign films but the production of our own international stunners - as Tsotsi is.

What a movie. What I found trully remarkable was the audience when I watched - more black than white (unusual in Sandton). It is a movie that really seemed to touch the South African story.

In fact, one of the production crew was hijacked a few weeks back. He asked the hijacker whether he had seen the movie. The hijacker replied, "Yes, that's what makes me so sorry to do this to you."

Well done Tsotsi. Well done Athol Fugard. Well done Gavid Hood (what a long way from his dad's appearences on the OK Bazaars ads, and his appearence in "The Game"). Well done South Africa!

Feeling like collateral?

"They project onto you their flaws, what they don't like about themselves. I had a father like that," says Vincent.

It's a moment of commonality between Vincent (Tom Cruise) and Max (Jamie Foxx) in Collateral. It's one of my favorite movies. I love thrillers. I love Michael Mann thrillers (he of Miami Vice, Heat, The Insider and Ali). But most of all I love movies about people, and watching it again on TV last night reminded me of that.



Collateral works. It is, in my opinion, Tom Cruise's best performance - and Jamie Foxx plays a perfect foil. The performances are framed by the usual brilliant soundtrack and cinemaphotography of a Michael Mann movie.

There is not much in common between Vincent and Max. Vincent is a contract killer. Max is a taxi driver. But after an impromtu visit to Max's mother in hospital we catch a glimpse through the veils of perhaps shared difficulties in childhood. The difference is that Vincent becomes disillusioned and cold - he cuts himself off from the world - "Millions of galaxies of hundreds of millions of stars, in a speck on one in a blink. That's us, lost in space."

Max, on the other hand, survives through dreaming of starting a limo company. He's holding down a temporary job - of twelve years - while he gets everything in place.

Their respective faults are clear to one another. Their lack of self-awareness is supported by the self-justification present in all of us. Vincent remarks with biting clarity what Max buries deep down, "One night you'll wake up and you'll discover it never happened. It's all turned around on you and it never will. Suddenly you are old, didn't happened and it never will, 'cause you were never going to do it anyway."

Vincent remarks that he hates LA - it's so spread out and everyone is so disconnected from one another. Did you know that a guy died on the MTA and no one noticed that he was dead for 6 hours? His observation is rich with the irony of his own isolation and inability to really connect with anyone. The same irony is apparent in his charisma. What he really believes is: "There's no good reason, there's no bad reason to live or to die."

Max asks of Vincent, "Man, if someone had a gun to your head and said: 'You gotta tell me what's goin' on with that person across the street, there, what they think, who they are, how they feel, or I will kill you'... they'd have to kill you...wouldn't they...? 'Cause you don't have a clue about anyone. ...I don't think you, you have a clue, period. Did anyone 'do' for you in your life? Ever? When you draw breath in the morning? Open your eyes in the a.m.? You anticipate anything? Want anything? Expect anything? I don't think so... 'Cause you are low, my brother, way low... and some standard parts that are supposed to be there?... with you, aren't. So what happened to you, man? What happened to you?" Again the irony is rich in the way Max's own delusions have cut him off.

For one moment, an extraordinary event seems to offer some perspective as two coyotes cross in front of the taxi in the middle of LA suburbia. There is a flicker of introspection in their eyes as they take in the moment.

Isn't that just the way? Don't we all hope perspective might dawn, and aren't we disappointed when something extraordinary happens and it doesn't?

But I am not a movie critic and this is not a movie review site.

I once fell in love with a guy like Vincent. He was the guy who was like me, just better. Somehow, somewhere, things in his youth had made him build a wall between him and the world. His wall was a charisma that created an easy relationship and an anger that shut out a deeper connection.

Others might create a wall through dreaming impossible dreams.

One thing is for sure - we battle to see our own flawed logic. Man have I been doing a lot of introspection.

PS: Michael Mann is directing a movie version of Miami Vice with Jamie Fox (good) and Colin Farrel (pity) slated for US release in July of this year. See the teaser trailer here.

Am I a machine?

Well OK, it has been said...

But anyhoo, it appears that Google believes I am. Every friggin search triggers a verification phrase.

I have always had more success at finding things on the net than anyone else I know. Now I know - it's cause I'm an automated search machine.

Now if only I could automate this bloody verification away...