Comments on: Secure the parking lot; charge the mall http://www.ballardian.com/secure-the-parking-lot-charge-the-mall Tue, 07 Feb 2012 23:59:09 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: junkdna http://www.ballardian.com/secure-the-parking-lot-charge-the-mall/comment-page-1#comment-2066 junkdna Wed, 09 Jul 2008 16:55:42 +0000 http://www.ballardian.com/secure-the-parking-lot-charge-the-mall#comment-2066 I would say the "french-speaking" is literally french-speaking men. There are thousands of french-speaking immigrants from west africa living in south africa. perhaps the current xenophobic climate makes prostitution a desperate source of income. I would say the “french-speaking” is literally french-speaking men. There are thousands of french-speaking immigrants from west africa living in south africa. perhaps the current xenophobic climate makes prostitution a desperate source of income.

]]> By: Simon Sellars http://www.ballardian.com/secure-the-parking-lot-charge-the-mall/comment-page-1#comment-2065 Simon Sellars Thu, 26 Jun 2008 00:33:41 +0000 http://www.ballardian.com/secure-the-parking-lot-charge-the-mall#comment-2065 To you both: wow. Just wow. Bosse, we know all about Ponte and its correlation with High-Rise! http://www.ballardian.com/you-are-hochhaus-ballard-in-berlin To you both: wow. Just wow.

Bosse, we know all about Ponte and its correlation with High-Rise! http://www.ballardian.com/you-are-hochhaus-ballard-in-berlin

]]> By: Bosse de Nage http://www.ballardian.com/secure-the-parking-lot-charge-the-mall/comment-page-1#comment-2064 Bosse de Nage Wed, 25 Jun 2008 13:48:49 +0000 http://www.ballardian.com/secure-the-parking-lot-charge-the-mall#comment-2064 All right! Ponte's been revived -- 'beautiful living in the roughest part of town' -- let's see what happens next. http://www.newponte.co.za/ All right!

Ponte’s been revived — ‘beautiful living in the roughest part of town’ — let’s see what happens next.

http://www.newponte.co.za/

]]> By: Bosse de Nage http://www.ballardian.com/secure-the-parking-lot-charge-the-mall/comment-page-1#comment-2062 Bosse de Nage Wed, 25 Jun 2008 12:39:57 +0000 http://www.ballardian.com/secure-the-parking-lot-charge-the-mall#comment-2062 1. The carnivalesque qualities of crime are surely unappreciated in this country. 2. The bureaucracy in question is pure Kafka, only to be outdone by the experience of going through the border into Zimbabwe (where the officials direct you to black market currency touts). 3. This makes it possible to apply the Alphaville model to society as a whole. Now you can experience the comforts of alienation anywhere, anytime. 4. I have no idea about this but I'll be sure to find out. My guess is that 'French-speaking' means 'exploitable to the hilt'. Cape Town is rotten with paedophilia, so that could be a code of sorts. Incidentally your story about almost being hit by an electric truck has given me a lead for an article I'm working on. Thanks! 1. The carnivalesque qualities of crime are surely unappreciated in this country.

2. The bureaucracy in question is pure Kafka, only to be outdone by the experience of going through the border into Zimbabwe (where the officials direct you to black market currency touts).

3. This makes it possible to apply the Alphaville model to society as a whole. Now you can experience the comforts of alienation anywhere, anytime.

4. I have no idea about this but I’ll be sure to find out. My guess is that ‘French-speaking’ means ‘exploitable to the hilt’. Cape Town is rotten with paedophilia, so that could be a code of sorts.

Incidentally your story about almost being hit by an electric truck has given me a lead for an article I’m working on. Thanks!

]]> By: Alex http://www.ballardian.com/secure-the-parking-lot-charge-the-mall/comment-page-1#comment-2063 Alex Wed, 25 Jun 2008 11:24:40 +0000 http://www.ballardian.com/secure-the-parking-lot-charge-the-mall#comment-2063 1) When I was last in South Africa, the news was that a party of German travel agents taking a bus tour of Khayelitsha township had stopped to watch some "traditional dancers", who immediately demanded money and valuables at the pistol's point from everyone except the organiser and driver. It struck me that it might almost have been deliberately arranged as part of the show. 2) At the same time, a young man who had been unavailingly trying to obtain his national identity card for several years took hostages at the ID card office. An ID card was made out in haste and flown from Pretoria to the scene of the crime by helicopter, after he phoned a radio show to issue demands - the authorities were galvanised by the degree of popular support other callers showed. 3) MTN found a way of filling their spankin' new 3G network - a service that lets you monitor your home surveillance cams from your mobile phone. 4) Cape Town newspapers' personals are full of "French-speaking black men" advertising escort services. I don't know if the French bit is a codeword. 1) When I was last in South Africa, the news was that a party of German travel agents taking a bus tour of Khayelitsha township had stopped to watch some “traditional dancers”, who immediately demanded money and valuables at the pistol’s point from everyone except the organiser and driver. It struck me that it might almost have been deliberately arranged as part of the show.

2) At the same time, a young man who had been unavailingly trying to obtain his national identity card for several years took hostages at the ID card office. An ID card was made out in haste and flown from Pretoria to the scene of the crime by helicopter, after he phoned a radio show to issue demands – the authorities were galvanised by the degree of popular support other callers showed.

3) MTN found a way of filling their spankin’ new 3G network – a service that lets you monitor your home surveillance cams from your mobile phone.

4) Cape Town newspapers’ personals are full of “French-speaking black men” advertising escort services. I don’t know if the French bit is a codeword.

]]> By: Bosse de Nage http://www.ballardian.com/secure-the-parking-lot-charge-the-mall/comment-page-1#comment-2061 Bosse de Nage Wed, 25 Jun 2008 07:46:10 +0000 http://www.ballardian.com/secure-the-parking-lot-charge-the-mall#comment-2061 Yes, South Africa has its Ballardian moments. The former wife of FW de Klerk was killed in a secure gated community. A friend of mine's wife was killed by a security guard from her secure gated community after she gave him a lift. Outside Jo'burg at a place called Diepkloof there's an exclusive secure gated community opposite one of the less well-of townships. A notable feature of the landscape is a giant elevated sewage pipe running to a disposal site somewhere in the bush. No parallels to Alphaville, though. But if you Google Ponte City -- erected around the time High Rise was written -- you might find something to interest you. Yes, South Africa has its Ballardian moments.

The former wife of FW de Klerk was killed in a secure gated community.

A friend of mine’s wife was killed by a security guard from her secure gated community after she gave him a lift.

Outside Jo’burg at a place called Diepkloof there’s an exclusive secure gated community opposite one of the less well-of townships. A notable feature of the landscape is a giant elevated sewage pipe running to a disposal site somewhere in the bush.

No parallels to Alphaville, though. But if you Google Ponte City — erected around the time High Rise was written — you might find something to interest you.

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