Colin Seymour

Who Said You Don't Get Tigers in Africa?

2010-07-30T09:33:06+01:00

Panjo the hand-reared bengal tiger

Someone once told me "don't be silly, you don't get tigers in Africa" when I said I was going to the bush to see 'lions and tigers' in my thickest South African accent. Well, they're wrong. Monday, Tuesday and most of Wednesday saw Africa with a real live bengal tiger roaming the bushveld. Yes, a real tiger (pictured) was loose in the African bushveld.

So how did it happen? Well, on Monday, a man in the small town of Delmas in Mpumalanga, South Africa decided it was a good time to take his 145kg hand-reared bengal tiger to the vet to be vaccinated and chipped (just in case he got lost ;-) ). Like every pet going to the vet, Panjo had other ideas. Panjo must have been watching all the TV programmes about how beautiful South Africa is and decided to check it out for himself so he hopped out the back of his dad's bakkie (flat-bed truck) and went for a mosey instead.

Naturally, all pandemonium broke loose and people started to panic and the searching began. Two days later, and quite some distance away, Panjo was found safe and sound in Verena. Given what's between Delmas and Verena - lots of nothing with a two nature reserves and a great big dam - I think Panjo had a great mid-week break seeing the best wildlife Africa has to offer and will be happy to get back to his home comforts...

It's like having the family cat on the kitchen counter

So there you have it. Africa ~~does~~ did have a tiger in the bushveld.

How amazing would it be to have a bengal tiger as a pet? From the picture above, and the others in the article, it looks like it's just like having a normal domestic cat, except maybe for the ravenous appetite. I want one.

Dear Santa...

How to Spot A Fake £1 Coin

2010-07-27T17:42:10+01:00

There's quite an interesting programme on BBC1 at the moment - Fake Britain - and in last night's episode they covered the topic of fake cash and credit cards. Fake credit cards and notes are well known and in the case of notes, most people are well versed in checking for fakes, but what was surprising was the number of fake £1 coins in circulation and how little people about it or how to identify fakes.

On the programme, the scientist gave a few methods to easily check and then today, Love Money conveniently provided a more extensive list that I thought was worth passing on...

The coin has been circulating for some time according to its date of issue, yet it looks surprisingly new.

The design on the back of the coin doesn’t match the official design for the year it was issued. You can check which designs were used in each year at the Royal Mint website. £1 coins were first introduced in 1983 and the design has changed every year since. Check out Britain’s £1 Coin Designs which shows the designs that should appear on the reverse of the coin for every year from 1983 to 2010. Remember, if the date and the design don’t match up, you’ve got a fake.

The lettering or inscription on the edge of the coin doesn’t match the corresponding year. Take a look at the Counterfeit Coin Guide which will show you the correct specifications and inscriptions on £1 coins according to their year of issue.

The designs on both sides of the coin aren’t well defined compared with a real coin.

The alignment of the design is at an angle. Hold the coin so that the Queen’s head is upright and facing you. The design on the back should be upright too.

The ribbed edge of the coin is poorly defined.

The lettering on the edge of the coin is uneven, badly spaced or indistinct.

The colour of the coin doesn’t match the genuine article. Fake coins are often more yellow or golden than the real thing.

Fake coins are often thinner and lighter.

Remember, most counterfeit coins won’t be accepted by vending machines unless the forgery is particularly good. This is a clear indication that you have a fake.

— Love Money

Whilst not all practical to check whilst out and about, there's enough info there for you to have a quick look at any pound coins you may get and quickly hand it back and ask for another. If you've already got a few, pop by your local police station and hand them over - I don't want them, and neither does anyone else.

Of course whilst this info is useful to us, it's fantastic for the forgers too.

Oh yes, and does anyone know where I can get one of those front doors the credit card forger had. Over 15 minutes for the police to get through is pretty impressive.

Interesting Links for 15 Jul 2010 - 26 Jul 2010

2010-07-26T13:47:45+01:00

Interesting links for 15 Jul 2010 - 26 Jul 2010:

German police win overtime pay for putting on their uniforms - Europe, World - The Independent - A German policeman's lot is a decidedly happier one after a court ruling yesterday which awarded an officer from the city of Mnster an extra week's holiday to compensate for the time he spends donning his uniform each day.
YouTube - Proper Running Techniques : Running from Heel to Toe - Running expert talks about the importance of running from heel to toe, and proper heel strike, in free athletic video on basic running techniques.Expert: Jea...
South Africans, you suck! - What on earth were you all thinking? Come on now!!!
If Britain decides to ban the burqa I might just start wearing one - A great piece by David Mitchell (half of the comedy duo Mitchell and Webb) on the current topic of discussion: should the UK ban the burqa like France have done? No we shouldn't and David Mitchell has a great rant about it here. Well worth a read.
Speed camera switch off plans spark safety warnings - Oooo. I wonder if Wokingham are watching this. If I pick the right route, I can pass 5 cameras in 6 miles on my way to work: two of which can see each other.

Newport (Ymerodraeth State of Mind)

2010-07-26T12:21:37+01:00

A great bit of music from our friends across the Severn...

The best bit? Check out the new word I've just learnt:

Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch

Don't ask me to pronounce it or spell it off the top of my head but I thanks to Wikipedia I know it's a real word and is a village and community on the island of Anglesey.

Someone at T in the Park Loves Me

2010-07-21T17:50:28+01:00

Whilst flipping through channels one evening, I stumbled upon the T in the Park TV highlights coverage on BBC3. I don't tend to watch these programmes for very long, but I do like to watch just long enough to get a good look at the flags flying in the crowd. Several years ago I noticed a South African flag in the audience for the first time and now look out for one in every festival I see on TV.

This time I didn't notice a South African flag, but I did notice one flag in particular...

Someone at T in the Park Loves me

Admittedly it was a bit hard to miss given it was the only flag in the audience and also flying right in the middle of the screen with my name on it.

Claire says she didn't have anything to do with it, but I'm suspicious ;-)

Happy 1st International Mandela Day

2010-07-18T09:01:33+01:00

Yes folks, today, 18 July 2010, is the first international Mandela Day to mark the contribution of Nelson Mandela to world freedom. South Africa has celebrated Mandela Day for while, but last year the UN gave it a thumbs up on the international calendar. What would have been brilliant is if the UN had made it a mandatory bank holiday too.

Interesting Links for 13 Jul 2010 - 15 Jul 2010

2010-07-15T14:15:02+01:00

Interesting links for 13 Jul 2010 - 15 Jul 2010:

Missy, the missing cat. - Brilliant!!! just brilliant.
Ha ha ha ha ha. RIAA paid its lawyers more than $16,000,000 in 2008 to recover only $391,000!!! - "So all in all, for a 3 year period, they spent around $64,000,000 in legal and investigative expenses to recover around $1,361,000." - so was it really worth it? In these times of austerity, will the penny drop?
2010 World Cup comes to a close - The Big Picture - Boston.com - Some pretty amazing photos taken during the world cup.
Lego: Patching up a wall near you - What a great idea. Whilst not particularly functional, it certainly makes the crumbling walls look a lot better.
German police win overtime pay for putting on their uniforms - Europe, World - The Independent - I think I need to start claiming my overtime. As a techie it takes me a long time to put my pants, socks, shoes, pocket protector and pens and glasses on each morning. And then there's the time it takes for my computer to boot up and shutdown.

España: Campeona del Mundo

2010-07-14T12:47:14+01:00

It's all over folks. The 2010 football World Cup in South Africa has finished in spectacular fashion and Spain has gone home victorious.

The final itself wasn't the best game of football I've ever watched and I was quite disappointed. I wanted another goal-fest: four a piece (with a few amazing long range shots) with a final last minute goal to seal it all in spectacular fashion within 90 minutes. Instead we got the Dutch trying to kick the mierda out of the Spaniards with the game comprising 14 yellow cards (the Dutch should change their national colour to yellow), one red and a single goal 4 mins from the end of extra time.

Aside from the final, I think it's been a great world cup and I think South Africans all over the world should be very proud of themselves. They managed to pull off the most popular sporting event in the world in impressive style and left a permanent mark on the history of football (vuvuzelas forever!! ;-) ) and with some pretty impressive viewer and attendance figures too. Apparently this world cup saw the highest television viewership figures and the 3rd highest attendance in the history of the World Cup. Sepp Blatter was certainly impressed...

I would say now they deserve a nine on 10, and a nine on 10 at the university level is a doctorate summa cum laude, so it’s the highest ...
Perfection does not exist in our life, also not in the World Cup.
&mdash Sepp Blatter

Now if that's not a huge compliment to be proud of, I don't know what is.

What's more, South Africa has proven to the world, or more specifically the British tabloids, that it is a wonderful, friendly and beautiful country that can and does pull off the major sporting events without the blood shed and violence they reported every visitor to South Africa would be affected by. All the fear-mongering in the months before the world cup turned out to be the usual sensationalist mierda the tabloids spew on a daily basis.

As can be expected, none of the tabloids have, nor will they, step forward and put their hands up and say they got it wrong.

Congratulations South Africa. You've done yourselves proud and I really hope this world cup sees South Africa climb up people's investment and holiday destination lists and the increased exposure and investment will help South Africa evolve and prosper to levels never seen in Africa. The World Cup success is also the perfect springboard for South Africa's bid to host the 2020 Olympics. You've hosted Africa's first rugby, cricket and football world cups, so why not Africa's first Olympic games? Good luck South Africa. I can say I'm really proud to be South African.

Interesting Links for 21 Jun 2010 - 13 Jul 2010

2010-07-13T10:41:16+01:00

Interesting links for 21 Jun 2010 - 13 Jul 2010:

In California, license plates might go electronic - San Jose Mercury News - Adverts today, full TV programs tomorrow. And just think of the fun hackers could have with these things.
World record for SA football fan - Now that's called dedication.
W00t! sends Associated Press a bill for quoting its blog - Boing Boing - I love it when these press companies who are so keen on making money off everyone and anyone find themselves at the butt-end of their own "measures".
Caster Semenya may return to track this month after IAAF clearance - This is great news for Caster Semenya. Pity someone leaked the story in the first place. Being subject to gender verification is a highly personal and potentially devastating experience that only the immediately involved should know about. But in this ever invasive news world we live in, cash speaks volumes.
Bottled water ban considered at events on San Francisco property - I think San Francisco may be onto something here. SF today, the world tomorrow.

Good Morning, That's a Nice Tnetennba

2010-07-12T14:08:45+01:00

"Good Morning, that's a nice tnetennba" - hee hee hee hee hee.

If you're a fan of the IT Crowd, you'll know exactly what I'm talking about (I'm just catching up on missed episodes right now). If you haven't a clue, here's the clip.

How sad am I? Very :-D