Forget Angry Birds, Argentinian game takes aim at investors

IT LOOKS a lot like Angry Birds, that addictively silly iPhone game – only in this version, the target is bondholders.

At a state-run amusement park in Argentina, the government is encouraging children to take aim at virtual vultures, a not-so-veiled reference to the nation’s international creditors.

“Mission accomplished!” the screen proclaims when players shoo the digital critters away from hospitals, factories and schools. “We’ve recovered our national sovereignty together!”

The game, it’s safe to say, will never become a global phenomenon like those famous little birds from Finland. But it nonetheless underscores the lengths to which President Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner is going as her government battles with spurned creditors.

On a recent winter day, 11-yearold Lucila Aranda stepped up to the chest-high console to battle the vultures along with a handful of other kids. Using digital sling shots, they hurled spheres depicting different government programmes at the birds.

“It’s was fun – the birds were funny,” Lucila said afterward. Her father, Joaquin, wasn’t so sure. “It’s clear propaganda,” he said.

Unlike the real version of Angry Birds, everyone wins this video game. Afterward, players are herded into a small room to collect their reward: A psychedelic video of fire-breathing vultures, greedy politicians and US dollar bills. – Bloomberg

IAM SURE South Africans are aware of how the lack of competence at Eskom is affecting the economy, strangling growth and increasing unemployment. Let me assure you that this bureaucratic incompetence has filtered down to lower management level.

Yesterday at 10.45am, I was informed telephonically by my safety officer that an Eskom technician was on the mine.

The technician needed to put the power off in order to replace a faulty meter. I immediately phoned his superior, Mr Christo Lubbe.

I asked him to please do the job on Saturday when the mine was not in operation. He said that it had to be done today (Monday) as Eskom could not carry on estimating the power usage.

The meter fault arose during the previous week.

I then asked him if he could commence the job at 3pm as that was when change of shift occurred and would have less of an effect on production.

He said this would be planned overtime and he would have to apply to his superiors in writing and this would take too long.

I then asked who his supervisor was, in order that I could phone him. He then told me his supervisor was Mr Andre Meyer, but refused to give me his telephone number. I then gave up and the power was put off at 11am.

At 1.45pm the technician came back to the mine to inform me that the power would be put on.

He could not complete the job as the replacement meter also did not work.

I thus lost three hours of production for no reason and can only assume that I will lose another three hours when Eskom has sourced a meter that works.

These six hours will cost my small company about R250 000 in lost revenue, and coupled with regular load shedding this will soon cause the closure of the mine.

This will result in excess of 420 people losing their jobs, which this area can ill-afford. C.E. LE ROUX

VIA E-MAIL