Tuesday, May 31, 2005
Deep Throat identity's revealed
Not the star of the movie but the person that was behind the article in Washington Post more than 2 decades ago. The one that was the source behind the leaked secrets about Nixon's Watergate coverup.
"W. Mark Felt, 91, was second-in-command at the FBI in the early 1970s. His identity was revealed Tuesday by Vanity Fair magazine, and family members said they believe his account is true." in CNN.
Here's the full article in CNN and here's the original article in Vanity Fair.
"W. Mark Felt, 91, was second-in-command at the FBI in the early 1970s. His identity was revealed Tuesday by Vanity Fair magazine, and family members said they believe his account is true." in CNN.
Here's the full article in CNN and here's the original article in Vanity Fair.
nomads
jlvolcheff, alig, madisonmessiah, ryan, heroofthelight, katieAV
"There has got to be more to life than just being really, really, really, ridiculously good-looking." (Zoolander)
A Canadian beats a lot of women in Thailand
"Glebova, a 23-year-old motivational speaker from Toronto, succeeded last year's winner, Australian Jennifer Hawkins, after the usual evening gown and swimsuit parades that pull in TV viewers worldwide but outrage feminists and traditionalists." (Reuter)
Judge it yourself whether she's a worthy winner of the fantabulous Miss Universe 2005.
Stop learning new language
"At the recent web cast of the Google Factory Tour, researcher Franz Och presented the current state of the Google Machine Translation Systems. He compared translations of the current Google translator, and the status quo of the Google Research Lab?s activities. The results were highly impressive. A sentence in Arabic which is now being translated to a nonsensical ?Alpine white new presence tape registered for coffee confirms Laden? is now in the Research Labs being translated to ?The White House Confirmed the Existence of a New Bin Laden Tape.?" (Google Blogscoped)
Cambodia's Ex-King Delights in Blogging
By MIRANDA LEITSINGER, Associated Press Writer
Sat May 28, 5:45 PM ET
PHNOM PENH, Cambodia - "I thank you for insulting me." Thus blogged former King Norodom Sihanouk to a critic of his support of gay marriage. He didn't share any of the insulting e-mails with his readers, but noted: "My country, Cambodia, has chosen to be a liberal democracy since 1993. Every Cambodian ... including the King has the right to express freely their view."
It was one of thousands of commentaries that fill the Web site of the world's most colorful and pugnacious royal blogger, offering Sihanouk's views on anything from environmental rape through Hollywood stars and killer spouses to the rough-and-tumble of Cambodian politics.
Full story here
Sat May 28, 5:45 PM ET
PHNOM PENH, Cambodia - "I thank you for insulting me." Thus blogged former King Norodom Sihanouk to a critic of his support of gay marriage. He didn't share any of the insulting e-mails with his readers, but noted: "My country, Cambodia, has chosen to be a liberal democracy since 1993. Every Cambodian ... including the King has the right to express freely their view."
It was one of thousands of commentaries that fill the Web site of the world's most colorful and pugnacious royal blogger, offering Sihanouk's views on anything from environmental rape through Hollywood stars and killer spouses to the rough-and-tumble of Cambodian politics.
Full story here
Ja or Niet?
Ok so the French said "non" (and create lots of complicated stuff for the future of EU political unification). The Dutch will have the opportunity to have their say on Wednesday.
So what do you think? Another "niet"? or does it really matter anymore (for a "Ja")?
So what do you think? Another "niet"? or does it really matter anymore (for a "Ja")?
carlexeurope.nomadlife.org is no longer available
By Carl's request, his weblog at carlexeurope.nomadlife.org is closed now. I am sharing this information so that some of his readers here do not assume there's suddenly something wrong with his weblog being not accessible.
This is a normal thing btw. People open and close their weblog all the time for various reasons and I think nomadlife has this courtesy thing that you can close your weblog at any time. It is your weblog and you have full control over its fate. If you need it done, just contact me. There is no need to provide any explanation nor state any reason (although your readers might appreciate some more info from you).
This is a normal thing btw. People open and close their weblog all the time for various reasons and I think nomadlife has this courtesy thing that you can close your weblog at any time. It is your weblog and you have full control over its fate. If you need it done, just contact me. There is no need to provide any explanation nor state any reason (although your readers might appreciate some more info from you).
Weird stuff
There's something going wrong with nomadlife domain right now where some you cannot access any weblogs under nomadlife.org domain. This is not a server problem. Right now it seems that something funky is happening with the DNS (the naming system of the Internet) in regards of nomadlife. I suspect this is something temporary and everything will turn to normal soon without our intervention.
Sunday, May 29, 2005
ahh the French
Friday, May 27, 2005
We're all screwed - Complete failure in Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty Conference
"The chairman of the conference held at the United Nations, Sergio Duarte, said at the end of the conference that there would be no final statement because "very little has been accomplished." For most of the four weeks of the meeting, non-nuclear states insisted that the United States and other nuclear powers focus on radically reducing their nuclear armaments, while the Bush administration and European powers tried to focus the conference on the question of dealing with North Korea and Iran. North Korea exited the treaty two years ago and has declared itself a nuclear power; Iran denies American charges that it is trying to build a nuclear weapon." (NYTimes)
I italicize the core stupidity that happened in this conference. It's about "limiting the nuclear club, stupid". There is little to gain by continuning to insist nuclear weapon reduction in expense of the effort to curtail the expansion of nuclear armed countries. Get your priority right people !! goddamitt.
I italicize the core stupidity that happened in this conference. It's about "limiting the nuclear club, stupid". There is little to gain by continuning to insist nuclear weapon reduction in expense of the effort to curtail the expansion of nuclear armed countries. Get your priority right people !! goddamitt.
Leaving on a jet plane.
According to common myth(truth) the algorithms on online ticket buying is designed to attract buyers at certain time according to deman. You can get the cheapest flight on a wednesday at 3AM EST. So buy tickets on wedneesday early in the morning...
Dumbest Drivers in America
Listed below are the average scores on a 20-question driver's test administered to more than 5,000 licensed drivers in a survey commissioned by the GMAC Insurance. (cnn)
Top 5 (Smartest):
1. Oregon -- 89.4
2. Washington -- 88.4
3. Iowa -- 87.7
4. Idaho -- 87.5
5. Wyoming -- 87.4
Bottom 5 (Dumbest):
44. Washington, D.C, -- 79.8
44. New York -- 79.8
47. New Jersey -- 78.3
48. Massachusetts -- 77.2
49. Rhode Island -- 77.0
Innovation in Uganda
Arrest All the Poor, Minister Kibirige Says
New Vision (Kampala)
December 15, 2004
Posted to the web December 15, 2004
William Rwebembera
Kampala
THEY are poor. They are hard to lead. They should be arrested. This is the the way to develop, according to agriculture minister Kibirige Ssebunya.
He advised local leaders to arrest poor people in their areas of jurisdiction.
Ssebunya was on Monday officiating at the Rice Day celebrations in
Nyarweyo sub-county, Kibaale district.
"All the poor should be arrested because they hinder us from performing our development duties. It is hard to lead the poor, and the poor cannot lead the rich. They
should be eliminated," he said.
He said the poor encouraged the country to keep begging, adding that he
would table his idea in Parliament and lobby for it to become a law.
"Arresting the poor will be the only way to implement the Poverty
Eradication Action Plan," he said.
He said many people have land but are not utilising it profitably.
New Vision (Kampala)
December 15, 2004
Posted to the web December 15, 2004
William Rwebembera
Kampala
THEY are poor. They are hard to lead. They should be arrested. This is the the way to develop, according to agriculture minister Kibirige Ssebunya.
He advised local leaders to arrest poor people in their areas of jurisdiction.
Ssebunya was on Monday officiating at the Rice Day celebrations in
Nyarweyo sub-county, Kibaale district.
"All the poor should be arrested because they hinder us from performing our development duties. It is hard to lead the poor, and the poor cannot lead the rich. They
should be eliminated," he said.
He said the poor encouraged the country to keep begging, adding that he
would table his idea in Parliament and lobby for it to become a law.
"Arresting the poor will be the only way to implement the Poverty
Eradication Action Plan," he said.
He said many people have land but are not utilising it profitably.
nomadlife
the last template got ugly quickly, and as a result, i dragged the file to my recycle bin.
so dody and i went back to the drawing board. three minutes later, we came up with a new approach- themes. for example a beach theme or a metropolis theme, as shown above. there could be several of them (i.e. desert, jungle, mountains, food (cooking), girls) and dody suggested a rotation about every week or so.
any ideas?
so dody and i went back to the drawing board. three minutes later, we came up with a new approach- themes. for example a beach theme or a metropolis theme, as shown above. there could be several of them (i.e. desert, jungle, mountains, food (cooking), girls) and dody suggested a rotation about every week or so.
any ideas?
20 years
Jen covers the marijuana smuggling case that grip Australia.
"Yet long before the sentence was handed down many concerned Australians had elevated Corby to martyr status. But a martyr to what cause? There are 155 Australians in foreign jails on drugs charges, two facing the death penalty. However, their stories of personal tragedy, stupidity and brazen greed fail to move us, while Corby touches strangers: "If eyes are the windows to the soul, I see a soft kindness shining through," wrote one supporter. Others responded less benignly, turning instead on Indonesia.
Corby is an attractive and well-presented young woman, and patently distressed. She does not fit the stereotype of a drug mule. That may go some way towards explaining the torrent of public sympathy, but it was always immaterial to her innocence or guilt. There was never any argument that the marijuana was found in her luggage. The onus was always on her to provide a credible explanation of how it got there if she was to be acquitted." (Sydney Morning Herald Editorial)
NYTimes covers the verdic and you can find the extensive coverage in Australian media here.
This verdict is not the end of this case. Next step: appeal or prison exchange.
"Yet long before the sentence was handed down many concerned Australians had elevated Corby to martyr status. But a martyr to what cause? There are 155 Australians in foreign jails on drugs charges, two facing the death penalty. However, their stories of personal tragedy, stupidity and brazen greed fail to move us, while Corby touches strangers: "If eyes are the windows to the soul, I see a soft kindness shining through," wrote one supporter. Others responded less benignly, turning instead on Indonesia.
Corby is an attractive and well-presented young woman, and patently distressed. She does not fit the stereotype of a drug mule. That may go some way towards explaining the torrent of public sympathy, but it was always immaterial to her innocence or guilt. There was never any argument that the marijuana was found in her luggage. The onus was always on her to provide a credible explanation of how it got there if she was to be acquitted." (Sydney Morning Herald Editorial)
NYTimes covers the verdic and you can find the extensive coverage in Australian media here.
This verdict is not the end of this case. Next step: appeal or prison exchange.
Egypt's constitutional Change
Two days ago i practiced - for the first time ever - my legal right to vote.
I went down to the police station to vote in the referrendum about amending the constitution of the election process in Egypt.
I found out that my Voting committee - Committee 18 is in a school nearby, along with Committees 11 till 17.
I headed there - happily and excited about making my voice heard and about being a part of our Nation's future.
Being one of the lucky people i already have a voting card - so i faced no problem. Citizens born after 1982 can vote with their ID cards as it is updated to include your voting status - at least this was communicated to us by the media.
Apparently that did not happen - no voting card - no vote!
Others got screwed over and didn't even find their names enlisted in the voting lists - they probably said "No" too many times!
At the School I got my first shock! inorder for any Voting Committee to be opened 3 voting people must go in at the same time and vote, then wait around with the officials in the voting room till 7 pm when it closes.
The reason behind that is that noone should be in the voting room alone with officials.
The result? only my committee was opened - 3 poor women were trapped there waiting till 7 pm - and the rest of the committees peple came to vote, and found out that they can't so they left.
My second shock came shortly after - i read the proposed change in the consititution. I read it 3 times and shook my head in disbelief!
I felt completely and utterly offended - like someone is trying to convince me that Elephants can Fly.
It took me a good 10 minutes to absorb the shock - at that time the people around noticed and volunteered to explain the process assuming i didn't understand. One of them even said " honey, it doesn't matter what you vote, it's already been decided".
I went behind a black curtain voted - folded my paper - threw it in the Box, got into my car and drove - with the biggest frown on my face.
The next day I found out i was one of the lucky people who got to put my vote in a big wooden box - others had to give their papers to officials who put them in a big envelove.
Democracy In Egypt? I guess not...
I went down to the police station to vote in the referrendum about amending the constitution of the election process in Egypt.
I found out that my Voting committee - Committee 18 is in a school nearby, along with Committees 11 till 17.
I headed there - happily and excited about making my voice heard and about being a part of our Nation's future.
Being one of the lucky people i already have a voting card - so i faced no problem. Citizens born after 1982 can vote with their ID cards as it is updated to include your voting status - at least this was communicated to us by the media.
Apparently that did not happen - no voting card - no vote!
Others got screwed over and didn't even find their names enlisted in the voting lists - they probably said "No" too many times!
At the School I got my first shock! inorder for any Voting Committee to be opened 3 voting people must go in at the same time and vote, then wait around with the officials in the voting room till 7 pm when it closes.
The reason behind that is that noone should be in the voting room alone with officials.
The result? only my committee was opened - 3 poor women were trapped there waiting till 7 pm - and the rest of the committees peple came to vote, and found out that they can't so they left.
My second shock came shortly after - i read the proposed change in the consititution. I read it 3 times and shook my head in disbelief!
I felt completely and utterly offended - like someone is trying to convince me that Elephants can Fly.
It took me a good 10 minutes to absorb the shock - at that time the people around noticed and volunteered to explain the process assuming i didn't understand. One of them even said " honey, it doesn't matter what you vote, it's already been decided".
I went behind a black curtain voted - folded my paper - threw it in the Box, got into my car and drove - with the biggest frown on my face.
The next day I found out i was one of the lucky people who got to put my vote in a big wooden box - others had to give their papers to officials who put them in a big envelove.
Democracy In Egypt? I guess not...
Drinking in Finland
"Finns are chronic drinkers. No one can argue against this fact. Sibelieus, the iconic composer, is noted for his alcoholism as well as his music. When the Russians bombed Helsinki during WW2 he was drunk in his attic with a riffle taking pot-shots at the planes overhead. Alcoholism has been part of Finland for a long time and it will continue as long as the government continues to do fuck-all about it." (crabba)
Thursday, May 26, 2005
Amnesty International Report 2005
covers 149 countries highlighting the failure of government and international organizations in dealing with human rights abuses. Read here. This is what they say about my country (Indonesia) record in 2004. (ouch)
You'll never walk alone
When you walk through a storm
Hold your head up high,
And don't be afraid of the dark.
At the end of a storm,
There's a golden sky,
And thesweet silver song of a lark.
Walk on through the rain,
Though your dreams be tossed and blown...
Walk on, walk on, with hope in your heart,
And you'll never walk alone,
You'll never walk alone.
Walk on, walk on, with hope in your heart,
And you'll never walk alone...
You'll never walk alone." (You'll never walk alone)
This is the famous Liverpool song sung by the football team fans.
This is one rendition of the song (mp3) and this one is the "stadium version"(mp3).
What is popular culture coming to?
Some of you may remember seeing Jen's post last month about Schapelle Corby, an Australian woman arrested when Indonesia with a whole lot of marijuana in her luggage (which she says someone else put there). Anyway, today is the day the verdict will be handed down on her case. While browsing through the Australian newspapers on the web this morning, I was bemused to find the following at the bottom of this Sydney Morning Herald article:
Get the Corby verdict sent straight to your mobile. SMS now to 1999 5550 the letters SMH and you'll receive it as soon as it happens. Service provided by Legion Interactive at a cost of 55 cents. Registration closes at 3pm Sydney time. The SMH makes no profit from this service.
Now I'm already not a huge fan of the role that corporate media plays in current society, nor the intellectual level of the masses that allow it to thrive, but I found this dismaying me just a little bit more.
Get the Corby verdict sent straight to your mobile. SMS now to 1999 5550 the letters SMH and you'll receive it as soon as it happens. Service provided by Legion Interactive at a cost of 55 cents. Registration closes at 3pm Sydney time. The SMH makes no profit from this service.
Now I'm already not a huge fan of the role that corporate media plays in current society, nor the intellectual level of the masses that allow it to thrive, but I found this dismaying me just a little bit more.
Ethiopioblogging
Thea is safe and well, and blogging, in Ethiopia. Check it out.
"The following morning I woke up to a lovely shower, a nice soft fluffy bath robe and the view of Addis...... which was, I must say quite contrasting.... on one balcony I had a view of the slums of Addis, houses made out of metal and dirt with little metal roofs, and children playing football, on the other balcony I found greenery, limousines, people dressed in suits and luxury.....
I've now just returned from a place called Milky House - strange name for a pub, where I sat with some Swedish, Irish, Lebanese, Moroccan and Egyptians having beer (gosh!!!! 6 beers cost 12Birrs - 8Birrs is 1$ so I guess you can make the maths!!!)......."
Help Need to Get Rid of Concert Tickets in Chicago for This Friday!!!
Tickets to an Arabic Concert with Nancy Ajram and Kazim Al-Sahir in Chicago can be found here at my blog.
Congratulation Liverpool
Tuesday, May 24, 2005
dubbed saharan
i put together this composite from the feedback i got. its a combination of the "saharan look" and the other, and i took out the planes that looked like they were aiming. comments?
Deadly Relationship
"A woman is killed by her intimate partner in South Africa every six hours. This is the highest rate (8.8 per 100,000 female population 14 years and older) that has ever been reported in research anywhere in the world," the study says." (cnn.com)
Logicians rejoice!
Okay, after witnessing the interest generated in the Einstein riddle a few weeks ago, I have made my problem of the week 2 an exercise in pure logic that I hope you'll all like.
And kudos to Rafael for getting the furthest on my first problem of the week.
Sudoku. Fill in the remaining squares so that every row, every column and all nine big 3*3 squares use each of the numbers 1 through 9 exactly once.
And kudos to Rafael for getting the furthest on my first problem of the week.
Sudoku. Fill in the remaining squares so that every row, every column and all nine big 3*3 squares use each of the numbers 1 through 9 exactly once.
you like getting naked?
Get ready for electronic portals known as backscatters, expected to be tested at a handful of airports this year, that use X-ray imaging technology to allow a screener to scan a body. And yes, the body image is detailed. Let's not be coy here, ladies and gentlemen:
"Well, you'll see basically everything," said Bill Scannell, a privacy advocate and technology consultant. "It shows nipples. It shows the clear outline of genitals."
(The New York Times)
"Well, you'll see basically everything," said Bill Scannell, a privacy advocate and technology consultant. "It shows nipples. It shows the clear outline of genitals."
(The New York Times)
Virtual Earth
Take a look at this demo of Virtual Earth (a soon to be released competition to google maps).
Monday, May 23, 2005
oui ou non ?
This 29 May France will have a referendum on EU constitution. If the referendum result is no, this could be the end of EU constitution.
infographique
infographique
From South Africa
"There are lots of NGOs in this country and many of them....well, they "work strategically", as they call it. It means they set goals for a time frame of, say, 30 years and then they sit back and wait for - - - well, I don't know what exactly they are waiting for." (Nancy)
Looks interesting
"Welcome to the ToDo Institute! Here you will find a wealth of material on Alternative Methods of Mental Health such as Morita Therapy and Naikan from Japan. These methods are rooted in Eastern philosophy; applied to life in contemporary Western society." (ToDo Institute)
Saturday, May 21, 2005
Another reality show..wait a min
NEW YORK (Reuters) - The man who made a hit movie out of eating McDonald's fast food for a month has filmed a "fundamentalist Christian" man living as a Muslim to find out what it's like to face the prejudice that many Muslims in America deal with since Sept. 11.
The experiment is part of "Super Size Me" Director Morgan Spurlock's new reality TV show "30 Days," which places people in a variety of unfamiliar circumstances for 30 days. The documentary maker,says the television show is driven by the desire to make people think about society's problems.
In one episode of the new TV show, a conservative straight man tries living with a gay roommate. In another, a mother turns to binge-drinking to send a warning to her daughter. Spurlock puts himself to the test by living on minimum wage in America.
Read on...
The experiment is part of "Super Size Me" Director Morgan Spurlock's new reality TV show "30 Days," which places people in a variety of unfamiliar circumstances for 30 days. The documentary maker,says the television show is driven by the desire to make people think about society's problems.
In one episode of the new TV show, a conservative straight man tries living with a gay roommate. In another, a mother turns to binge-drinking to send a warning to her daughter. Spurlock puts himself to the test by living on minimum wage in America.
Read on...
Friday, May 20, 2005
Freedom House reports
on Women's Rights in the Middle East and North Africa : Citizenship and Justice.
"As the societies of the Arab Middle East and North Africa (MENA) confront the process of democratic change, no issue offers a more formidable challenge than the unequal status of women. This survey presents detailed reports on the state of women?s rights in 16 countries and one territory-Palestine-of the MENA region, including countries from North Africa, the Levant, the Gulf, and the Arabian Peninsula. Although the survey provides evidence of progress toward gender equality in a number of countries, its principal findings reflect a pervasive, gender-based gap in rights and freedoms. A substantial deficit in women's rights exists in every country reviewed in this study and is reflected in practically every institution of society: the law, the criminal justice system, the economy, education, health care, and the media."
Sameena Nazir, a senior research coordinator at Freedom House. (read more)
"As the societies of the Arab Middle East and North Africa (MENA) confront the process of democratic change, no issue offers a more formidable challenge than the unequal status of women. This survey presents detailed reports on the state of women?s rights in 16 countries and one territory-Palestine-of the MENA region, including countries from North Africa, the Levant, the Gulf, and the Arabian Peninsula. Although the survey provides evidence of progress toward gender equality in a number of countries, its principal findings reflect a pervasive, gender-based gap in rights and freedoms. A substantial deficit in women's rights exists in every country reviewed in this study and is reflected in practically every institution of society: the law, the criminal justice system, the economy, education, health care, and the media."
Sameena Nazir, a senior research coordinator at Freedom House. (read more)
Diet Fads
I'm wondering how big are diet trends and fads around the world. In the US every year we will have the newest and greatest diet that will allow you eat as much as you can and lose a lot of weight. Diets companies are like buzzards feeding on the body insecurities of millions.
Wednesday, May 18, 2005
Mathematicians rejoice
For all the mathematically minded nomaders and for those who just have a desire to be educated in this fine art, I've started a Problem of the week section on my blog. To kick things off we have a nice little geometry problem. Try your hand at it.
Observing the Iranian presidential elections from Iran and beyond
"It?s ironic that liberal organizations and liberal governments around the world claim to be anti-war and talk about non-violent struggle but have not yet supported the Iranian referendum movement aggressively. Well, here is their chance!" (Iran Scan)
Store Wars
Join the Organic Rebellion...Learn the ways of the farm
Store Wars a mini-movie about a small band of organic vegetable puppets -- Cuke Skywalker, Ham Solo, Chewbroccoli and wise old Obi Wan Cannoli...I work for an Agro-Chemical, so I found it hilarious...thought it was a timely offering.
Cheers
B
Click here to use the farm...Store Wars
Store Wars a mini-movie about a small band of organic vegetable puppets -- Cuke Skywalker, Ham Solo, Chewbroccoli and wise old Obi Wan Cannoli...I work for an Agro-Chemical, so I found it hilarious...thought it was a timely offering.
Cheers
B
Click here to use the farm...Store Wars
Tuesday, May 17, 2005
Monday, May 16, 2005
Flammable Ideas
This outline was written back in 1999 and has yet to be fully realized notwithstanding noble efforts to accomplish it.
and the wall is crumbling down
" IBM on Monday issued a company policy on blogging and encouraged its employees to take part." (news.com)
MIT planning to make $100 laptops to improve children's education
The MIT's Media Lab's plan to develop and distribute a laptop computer costing no more than $100, with the aim of providing a laptop for every child, supplied to any country that wants to offer them.
The Project Manager (Negroponte) envisions that the combination of laptops to all children, broadband connections for the towns and villages where those children live in, and a school syllabus for the use of digital materials, will improve not only the education each child receives but their future prospects as well.
About half the price of a current laptop is accounted for by marketing, sales, distribution channels, and profit, but the plan is to sell the laptops directly to the governments, resulting in a major costs cut. The other half of the laptop's cost is accounted for parts and manufacturing, roughly 2 thirds of this cost is the display panel and associated backlight, but Negroponte's vision of the machine will use a projection display system that costs about $30. The rest of the cost goes to the operating system, so they will run Linux.
The initial machine will have a 500MHz processor from AMD (one of the project's main backers), 256 MB of main memory, 1 GB flash memory instead of a hard drive and a wireless LAN connection. Read more
The Project Manager (Negroponte) envisions that the combination of laptops to all children, broadband connections for the towns and villages where those children live in, and a school syllabus for the use of digital materials, will improve not only the education each child receives but their future prospects as well.
About half the price of a current laptop is accounted for by marketing, sales, distribution channels, and profit, but the plan is to sell the laptops directly to the governments, resulting in a major costs cut. The other half of the laptop's cost is accounted for parts and manufacturing, roughly 2 thirds of this cost is the display panel and associated backlight, but Negroponte's vision of the machine will use a projection display system that costs about $30. The rest of the cost goes to the operating system, so they will run Linux.
The initial machine will have a 500MHz processor from AMD (one of the project's main backers), 256 MB of main memory, 1 GB flash memory instead of a hard drive and a wireless LAN connection. Read more
Where does he get all these wonderful toys...
I've got a cool new blog-widdget over at my site that you guys might be interesting in checking out.....
Sunday, May 15, 2005
Grameen Bank
I dont know if anyone posted on this before but here goes anyway. I have been interested in this topic for several years now.
Grameen Bank
Provides credit to the poorest of the poor in rural Bangladesh without any collateral. At Grameen Bank, credit is a cost effective weapon to fight poverty and it serves as a catalyst in the overall development of socio-economic.
Muhammad Yunus (the founder) " one day poverty can be placed in museums"
I think Aiesec leaders should be saying "one day wars can be placed in the museum for good"
Grameen Bank
Provides credit to the poorest of the poor in rural Bangladesh without any collateral. At Grameen Bank, credit is a cost effective weapon to fight poverty and it serves as a catalyst in the overall development of socio-economic.
Muhammad Yunus (the founder) " one day poverty can be placed in museums"
I think Aiesec leaders should be saying "one day wars can be placed in the museum for good"
Texas Afternoon
This was the rotating image that greeted me on the nomadlife front page this morning. I think it deserve special attention - keep up the good work, Austin folk :)
"A well armed population is the best defence against tyranny......I'll drink to that"
"A well armed population is the best defence against tyranny......I'll drink to that"
Saturday, May 14, 2005
travelogue by a nomad: Bogota, Colombia
Friday, May 13, 2005
World's best airports
According to SkyTrax, these are the top 10 best airports in the world
(cnn reports)
Asia Pacific airports dominates this category 7 to 3. There is no American airport in the top 1o.
Hong Kong International | Hong Kong, China |
| Singapore Changi | Singapore |
| Incheon International | Seoul, South Korea |
| Munich | Munich, Germany |
| Kansai | Osaka, Japan |
| Dubai | Dubai, UAE |
| Kuala Lumpur | Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia |
| Schipol | Amsterdam, Netherlands |
| Copenhagen Airport | Copenhagen, Denmark |
| Sydney | Sydney, Australia |
(cnn reports)
Asia Pacific airports dominates this category 7 to 3. There is no American airport in the top 1o.
Recently opened Holocaust memorial
simi wrote about the Berlin Holocaust memorial "After months of discussions the Holocaust memorial in Berlin has been opened to the public this week. Discussions didn't so much go around if a memorial should be built (which is pretty much out of question), but how it should look like and who can participate to build it"
planes
tom had the idea to put a plane in a circle as the peace sign- you will find that on the top right of the content box.
the color schemes from each of these designs can be mixed and matched, as well as content from each.
please comment on what is liked and what is not. these are just preliminary designs.
the color schemes from each of these designs can be mixed and matched, as well as content from each.
please comment on what is liked and what is not. these are just preliminary designs.
inkblots (dirty 30)
the black on brown scheme might be a little unsettling to some.
on a side note- besides trents shouting at the grocery store, outkast is the only other reference to "dirty 30" i've ever heard
on a side note- besides trents shouting at the grocery store, outkast is the only other reference to "dirty 30" i've ever heard
Thursday, May 12, 2005
Tagging update
The tagging thing is going pretty well - we now have 51 nomadlife sites tagged. USA is still leading the pack with 16, followed by 7 for Egypt and a surprise third placer, Ireland with 5. Nice one, Eire!
Obviously with 51 out of 342, we still have a long way to go. Once we can get the majority of the blog community tagged, all sorts of cool things can happen, like a dynamic blog-map that shows the location of all our bloggers, with little flashing lights where things have been updated in the last 30 minutes or whatever. Or, country, city or theme specific site pages, where all the recent posts of people living in Chicago, or the Netherlands, or Africa, can be syndicated to.
If you have no idea what I am talking about, then read this.
Obviously with 51 out of 342, we still have a long way to go. Once we can get the majority of the blog community tagged, all sorts of cool things can happen, like a dynamic blog-map that shows the location of all our bloggers, with little flashing lights where things have been updated in the last 30 minutes or whatever. Or, country, city or theme specific site pages, where all the recent posts of people living in Chicago, or the Netherlands, or Africa, can be syndicated to.
If you have no idea what I am talking about, then read this.
Mozilla Security Issue
i'm not sure if any of you use mozilla, but if you do be careful and read this.
Wednesday, May 11, 2005
Hate Crimes Toward Muslims
"A new report finds that the number of reported bias crimes and civil rights violations against Muslims in the United States soared to its highest level last year since the period immediately after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.
The Washington-based Council on American-Islamic Relations, which did the study, attributed the increase to lingering animosity toward Muslims and a growing use of anti-Muslim rhetoric by some political, religious and media figures."
"The council counted 1,522 incidents in which Muslims reported their civil rights had been violated in 2004, a 49 percent increase over 2003. Another 141 incidents of confirmed or suspected bias crimes were committed against Muslims, a 52 percent rise." (Guardian)
***********
Unpatriotic Acts: Executive Summary
CAIR (Council On American-Islamic Relations)
Anti-CAIR
The Washington-based Council on American-Islamic Relations, which did the study, attributed the increase to lingering animosity toward Muslims and a growing use of anti-Muslim rhetoric by some political, religious and media figures."
"The council counted 1,522 incidents in which Muslims reported their civil rights had been violated in 2004, a 49 percent increase over 2003. Another 141 incidents of confirmed or suspected bias crimes were committed against Muslims, a 52 percent rise." (Guardian)
***********
Unpatriotic Acts: Executive Summary
CAIR (Council On American-Islamic Relations)
Anti-CAIR
Fille de Damas - direct from Damascus
"Fille de Damas or "bent e sham", means a girl from Damascus. I am sharing my thoughts and impressions here, in an attempt to connect with people, and talk about some of the situations and problems in this place that I love. And much else.." (Fille de Damas)
Help needed - all nomadlife bloggers please read
(keeping this post at the top for another day or two)
As part of the conversation started by aloke a few days ago, I mentioned that nomadlife needs tags - a way of categorising our blogs based on things like country etc.
Well, I thought that rather than waiting on my ass for The Dode to work some genius and get this happening, I would try something myself. There is something very cool and very poweful set up, but to make this work, everyone needs to go and tag their own blogs.
How do you do this? Easy.
Save this link as a bookmark. Go to your own blog front page. Click on the bookmark link. It will take you to a login page - use the username and password "nomadlife". Cool so far? You betchya.
Now once you log in, it will show your blog address in one field, your blog title in another, an "extended" field that is empty, which you should leave empty, and a "tags" field which is where you need to tag your blog. To begin with, lets tag countries. Add three tags :
nomadlifeYourcountry (ie. "nomadlifeSingapore")
Yourcountry (ie "Singapore")
nomadlife
It is important to use the exact spelling of nomadlife, to capitalise the first letter of your country, and to spell the country name correctly (d'uh). The first tag creates a special category for all nomadlife blogs in your country. The second tag adds your blog to the broader group of blogs tagged as being in your country. The third tag identifies you as a nomadlife blog.
The system managing all this is called del.icio.us, and is the standard online for tagging and bookmarking websites, just like flickr is the standard for tagging and storing photos.
I'll write more about how we can use this tagging system later, but for now, please tag your blog with these tags - it will lead to a brighter and better future for you and your children. To begin with though, as a taster, you will see that each tag has a dedicated page (and RSS feed), so right now, there is an nomadlifeEgypt page, listing the Egypt blogs that I have already tagged.
I'm going to keep this article hovering around the top of the page for a while so that we can get as many nomads as possible doing this. More to come.
UPDATE - Following up to a good point made in comments - people in countries well know by their acronyms (ie USA, UAE, UK etc), lets set the stard that you use the acronym, not the full words. So a US blog would be tagged nomadlifeUSA
UPDATE 2 - Following on another point, please tag your blogs in the country name as spelt and used in English, not the native tongue. ie. Egypt not Misr, Ireland not Eire etc....
UPDATE 3 - Not bad for a first days effort. 27 blogs tagged in 14 different countries. USA in the lead with 8, followed by Egypt with 7. Please push this initiative out through your personal contacts etc, and any volunteer minded nomads can voluntarily tag other peoples blogs if you want.
As part of the conversation started by aloke a few days ago, I mentioned that nomadlife needs tags - a way of categorising our blogs based on things like country etc.
Well, I thought that rather than waiting on my ass for The Dode to work some genius and get this happening, I would try something myself. There is something very cool and very poweful set up, but to make this work, everyone needs to go and tag their own blogs.
How do you do this? Easy.
Save this link as a bookmark. Go to your own blog front page. Click on the bookmark link. It will take you to a login page - use the username and password "nomadlife". Cool so far? You betchya.
Now once you log in, it will show your blog address in one field, your blog title in another, an "extended" field that is empty, which you should leave empty, and a "tags" field which is where you need to tag your blog. To begin with, lets tag countries. Add three tags :
nomadlifeYourcountry (ie. "nomadlifeSingapore")
Yourcountry (ie "Singapore")
nomadlife
It is important to use the exact spelling of nomadlife, to capitalise the first letter of your country, and to spell the country name correctly (d'uh). The first tag creates a special category for all nomadlife blogs in your country. The second tag adds your blog to the broader group of blogs tagged as being in your country. The third tag identifies you as a nomadlife blog.
The system managing all this is called del.icio.us, and is the standard online for tagging and bookmarking websites, just like flickr is the standard for tagging and storing photos.
I'll write more about how we can use this tagging system later, but for now, please tag your blog with these tags - it will lead to a brighter and better future for you and your children. To begin with though, as a taster, you will see that each tag has a dedicated page (and RSS feed), so right now, there is an nomadlifeEgypt page, listing the Egypt blogs that I have already tagged.
I'm going to keep this article hovering around the top of the page for a while so that we can get as many nomads as possible doing this. More to come.
UPDATE - Following up to a good point made in comments - people in countries well know by their acronyms (ie USA, UAE, UK etc), lets set the stard that you use the acronym, not the full words. So a US blog would be tagged nomadlifeUSA
UPDATE 2 - Following on another point, please tag your blogs in the country name as spelt and used in English, not the native tongue. ie. Egypt not Misr, Ireland not Eire etc....
UPDATE 3 - Not bad for a first days effort. 27 blogs tagged in 14 different countries. USA in the lead with 8, followed by Egypt with 7. Please push this initiative out through your personal contacts etc, and any volunteer minded nomads can voluntarily tag other peoples blogs if you want.
easy just put one foot in front
May 5, 2005 | How long could you survive without your car? For the many Americans who think nothing of driving 10 blocks to buy a gallon of milk, the answer is obvious. But before any of you dedicated pedestrians and die-hard cyclists start feeling smug, try this question: How long could you survive without talking?
Chances are, nowhere near as long as John Francis did. After a massive oil spill polluted San Francisco Bay in 1972, Francis gave up all motorized transportation. For 22 years, he walked everywhere he went -- including treks across the entire United States and much of South America -- hoping to inspire others to drop out of the petroleum economy. (Salon)
Chances are, nowhere near as long as John Francis did. After a massive oil spill polluted San Francisco Bay in 1972, Francis gave up all motorized transportation. For 22 years, he walked everywhere he went -- including treks across the entire United States and much of South America -- hoping to inspire others to drop out of the petroleum economy. (Salon)
myaiesec.net is up and running
And what is the deal with the bizarre "Thank You Song" that is permanently linked from the front page? AIESEC can be a "basket of different coloured fruits" sometimes, and I think the Thank You Song is a great example.
It will be interesting to see how this system is rolled out - one of nomadlife's biggest weaknesses right now is the lack of geographic and cultural diversity, and with a the proper pushing and communication, this system could see a whole load of AIESEC bloggers popping up in the 91 corners of the world where AIESEC is found. Hopefully on AI next year I can play some role in seeing this system executed properly.
Modern Slavery
Some 12.3 million people are enslaved worldwide, according to a major report.
The International Labour Organization says 2.4 million of them are victims of trafficking, and their labour generates profits of over $30bn.
The ILO says that while the figures may be lower than recent estimates, they reflect reported cases which may rise as societies face the problem.
The report calls for a global alliance to improve laws and raise awareness of what it calls a "hidden" issue.
Global problem
The report, entitled A Global Alliance Against Forced Labour, is the ILO's second major investigation into slavery this century.
The organisation says forced labour is a global problem, in all regions and types of economy.
The largest numbers are in poor Asian countries and Latin America, but there are more than 350,000 cases in the industrialised world.
Four-fifths of forced labour is exacted by private agents and most victims are women and children, the ILO says.
The report has uncovered a significant amount of the kinds of forced labour which have been known about for a long time.
An example is bonded labour - where children are forced to do the same jobs as their parents, without hope of release.
Modern slavery is growing in some conflict zones, with the seizure of children as soldiers or sex slaves.
But the report sees the biggest deterioration in the newly globalised economy, in sectors such as the sex industry, agriculture, construction and domestic service.
Local knowledge
The ILO calls for better laws and stronger law enforcement to break "a pattern of impunity" in "privately-imposed forced labour".
The reports also urges societies to address the roots of the problem by working with local communities in the poorest countries.
The ILO suggests that wealthier countries could tackle the issue by looking at their labour and migration policies.
BBC developing world correspondent David Loyn says there are some positive signs of change.
Increased concern about organised crime has led to a new international protocol against people-trafficking.
Last year, trade unionists from a range of countries met in Cameroon to discuss issues including slavery and abduction, forced domestic labour and the sex trade.
The problem could be resolved in these smaller-scale non-governmental meetings, our correspondent says, because local individuals with business knowledge are more likely to uncover the practice than formal investigators.
But, he adds, it will take a lot to change the culture of forced labour, as it operates best in informal areas outside the view of the normal economy.
- BBC News
casting call
it seems nomadlife needs a new look on the surface. what does nomadlife.org need?
i will be redesigning the nomadlife template but would like input.
the key will be simplicity, attractiveness and readability.
how about a good looking map cleverly placed? nomadlife logo? what do you think? post your comments
i will be redesigning the nomadlife template but would like input.
the key will be simplicity, attractiveness and readability.
how about a good looking map cleverly placed? nomadlife logo? what do you think? post your comments
Tuesday, May 10, 2005
Barn Raising
Monday, May 09, 2005
Nomad Male Seeking Nice Wholesome Arab Woman
Enjoys long walks, blogging and smoking shisha
Prefers Strong Independent Arab woman who knows how to cook and belly dance
If interested, leave a message here.
(I?m just the matchmaker.)
Prefers Strong Independent Arab woman who knows how to cook and belly dance
If interested, leave a message here.
(I?m just the matchmaker.)
Preserving Reader's Trust
"Preserving Our Readers? Trust
A Report to the Executive Editor
Last fall, roughly a year after your acceptance of the Siegal Committee recommendations on our newsroom?s culture, you asked us to take a fresh look at some of the steps we had taken to increase readers? confidence in The Times. You asked about anonymous sources and whether the paper had done everything possible to minimize their occurrence and maximize our candor when using them. You asked whether we could cut our error rate by a significant amount and thereby give readers greater confidence in our reliability. You asked us to look beyond our walls and investigate our industry?s best practices: Are other leading papers taking steps that we should adopt to reinforce our readers? trust in us? And you were notably concerned about the din of outside criticism, about what seemed to be an unceasing drumfire from both left and right, amplified by the passions of the presidential election campaign and the wondrous reach of the Internet. Was it any longer possible to stand silent and stoic under fire?" (NYTimes) (.pdf)
This is recommendation report created for New York Times, the most distinguished US newspaper, on improving integrity of their journalism.
A Report to the Executive Editor
Last fall, roughly a year after your acceptance of the Siegal Committee recommendations on our newsroom?s culture, you asked us to take a fresh look at some of the steps we had taken to increase readers? confidence in The Times. You asked about anonymous sources and whether the paper had done everything possible to minimize their occurrence and maximize our candor when using them. You asked whether we could cut our error rate by a significant amount and thereby give readers greater confidence in our reliability. You asked us to look beyond our walls and investigate our industry?s best practices: Are other leading papers taking steps that we should adopt to reinforce our readers? trust in us? And you were notably concerned about the din of outside criticism, about what seemed to be an unceasing drumfire from both left and right, amplified by the passions of the presidential election campaign and the wondrous reach of the Internet. Was it any longer possible to stand silent and stoic under fire?" (NYTimes) (.pdf)
This is recommendation report created for New York Times, the most distinguished US newspaper, on improving integrity of their journalism.
Imperialism Protest in Turkey
Last week there was a small group of protestors that were walking down the street protesting Imperialism. They were shouting and holding up pictures of a man that was murdered named Deniz Olunmal?. I hate being in the dark and I had no idea who he was, so I immediately started searching on the internet for some more info. I found lots of Turkish articles that mention his name, but not a plethora of English translations. Can someone shed any more light-sources where I might find something (in English), or a translation in your own words kind of summary?
terrorism
a new york times article shows a difficult choice for the US government. should a terrorist be treated differently if the government he tries to influence is not of a liberal democracy?
the article concerns a man who is wanted for bombing a cuban airliner with over 70 people on board. venezuela has filed an extradition request.
Mr. Posada's case could create tension between the politics of the global war on terrorism and the ghosts of the cold war on communism. If Mr. Posada has indeed illegally entered the United States, the Bush administration has three choices: granting him asylum; jailing him for illegal entry; or granting Venezuela's request for extradition.
the article concerns a man who is wanted for bombing a cuban airliner with over 70 people on board. venezuela has filed an extradition request.
Mr. Posada's case could create tension between the politics of the global war on terrorism and the ghosts of the cold war on communism. If Mr. Posada has indeed illegally entered the United States, the Bush administration has three choices: granting him asylum; jailing him for illegal entry; or granting Venezuela's request for extradition.
How can I delete my blog...
and put it away/save it away for another day?
Errrrr, quite urgent as well.
Thanks.
Errrrr, quite urgent as well.
Thanks.
Larry Miller Responds
Larry Miller notified me that he commented on the "Larry Miller blogs" posting I made several days ago. Go check it out (highly recommended).
Sunday, May 08, 2005
Egypt's Casino Business
Egypt has a variety of Casinos, mainly in Cairo and in Sharm el Sheikh and probably in other Touristic Cities.
Everyone from all over the world can go into these casino's and spend as much time and money as they like EXCEPT for Egyptians themselves.
Regardless of whether they are muslims or christians they cannot even enter a casino.
Arabs can enter, they are usually the people who go there - rich arabian men whose wallets feel too heavy for their pockets.
It's obviously not about religion - as gambling is not acceptable in Islam.
I wish i could find an explanation for that.
Everyone from all over the world can go into these casino's and spend as much time and money as they like EXCEPT for Egyptians themselves.
Regardless of whether they are muslims or christians they cannot even enter a casino.
Arabs can enter, they are usually the people who go there - rich arabian men whose wallets feel too heavy for their pockets.
It's obviously not about religion - as gambling is not acceptable in Islam.
I wish i could find an explanation for that.
Austin joins the Axis of the Dissapointing...
What do you do when you have a city with a kick-ass reputation internationally as the capital of live music and general hedonism in the United States? Well d'uh, stupid. Ban smoking. My understanding of Austin as a city was that shit like this would definitely not be tolerated.
I quoted this on An Irish Experience last year when smoking was banned from bars in Dublin, and I'll quote it again...
I quoted this on An Irish Experience last year when smoking was banned from bars in Dublin, and I'll quote it again...
"Of all tyrannies, a tyranny sincerely exercised for the good of its victims may be the most oppressive. It may be better to live under robber barons than under omnipotent moral busybodies. The robber baron's cruelty may sometimes sleep, his cupidity may at some point be satiated; but those who torment us for our own good will torment us without end, for they do so with the approval of their own conscience."Bah. Fight the powers that be, people.....
Where do we go from here?
I've been thinking about this for a few days now, and I'm sure I'm not the only one.
Where does nomadlife.org go from here?
By all means, it's fantastic that there are a bunch of cool people here who share their views, and experiences - but is this the cap that goes on this idea?
Nomadlife is a super idea; I just think that there is more... just a hunch... something more to sap the true potential.
Children of the revolution... is this it?
Where does nomadlife.org go from here?
By all means, it's fantastic that there are a bunch of cool people here who share their views, and experiences - but is this the cap that goes on this idea?
Nomadlife is a super idea; I just think that there is more... just a hunch... something more to sap the true potential.
Children of the revolution... is this it?
Saturday, May 07, 2005
for all you science geeks out there :)
The Biblioteca Alexandria ( the newly constructed Library of Alexandria in Egypt) is holding the Einstein Symposium in June 2005.
This will be a chance for all Physics scientists and scholars to meet, interact and exchange ideas.
A scientific Contest is held for under- and post-graduates in the fields of physics and astophysics. Participants should present an experiment that explains one of the applications of Albert Einstein's theories that were presented in his 5 papers in 1905.
The prize is 3 tickets to the US to visit Princeton University, Einstein's house and office, and other tours in one week, and the Insitute of Advanced Studies (IAS) is offering full accomodation for those winners during their stay.
Among other things there will also be seminars held to discuss and share ideas and knowledge, and people are encouraged to submit papers, which once approved will be discussed in a session.
for more info and registration visit www.bibalex.org/einstein2005
pass this along to any of your friends who would be interested!
This will be a chance for all Physics scientists and scholars to meet, interact and exchange ideas.
A scientific Contest is held for under- and post-graduates in the fields of physics and astophysics. Participants should present an experiment that explains one of the applications of Albert Einstein's theories that were presented in his 5 papers in 1905.
The prize is 3 tickets to the US to visit Princeton University, Einstein's house and office, and other tours in one week, and the Insitute of Advanced Studies (IAS) is offering full accomodation for those winners during their stay.
Among other things there will also be seminars held to discuss and share ideas and knowledge, and people are encouraged to submit papers, which once approved will be discussed in a session.
for more info and registration visit www.bibalex.org/einstein2005
pass this along to any of your friends who would be interested!
Weekend Fun
http://www.85qm.de/up/BigRedButton.swf
This is a freaking great game. Hilarious, challenging, with a fantastic ending.
Please share how long it took you to get to the end.
humor in uniform
On Tuesday, Colombian authorities arrested Lieutenant Colonel Alan Norman and Sergeant Jose Hernandez of the United States Army, for illegally trafficking weapons and ammunition. The arms ? according to press reports more than 30,000 ?projectiles? were found in the house where the two were arrested ? were almost certainly meant for sale to paramilitary groups...(Narconews)
This is further embarrasment to the US army's mission in Colombia, (to stop cocaine trafficking and end the civil war) especially since US soldiers were arrested earlier this year for smuggling cocaine out of Colombia
This is further embarrasment to the US army's mission in Colombia, (to stop cocaine trafficking and end the civil war) especially since US soldiers were arrested earlier this year for smuggling cocaine out of Colombia
Friday, May 06, 2005
A couple of Madtown Goodbye's....
The people of Nomadlife!
I write to inform everyone of a couple good-bye events happening in Madison, WI, USA.
#1) Saturday, May 14th, 10PM: My very own, graduation party! That's right, I'm going off into the real world and going to make something happen. And to commenorate the event I will be throwing a huge graduation party for all the AIESECers and people who have impacted me over the last 4 years. There will be a party, and it wont stop until 8 in the mornin'. Take Monday off of work. Interested? Hit up my blog
#2) Tuesday, May 24th, 10PM: Mix's 21st birthday party and the LAST party at the Madison AIESEC House. We've had some great memories here in at the Lodge (as we like to call it): Including Halloween, as some may remember (or not) and the great times had with the numerous random strikers all the way from frozen St. Cloud, MN to warm and hippy Austin, TX. We want everyone to share in the ending of a great age at AIESEC - Madison and We will go out in style: Come early for the 9PM HOUR OF POWER, and stay for the 9AM HOUR OF POWER.
Subsequently, come to either or both events and say goodbye to Mix who is going to Egypt for 9 months, Burbs, who will be on Salaam this summer and then to Kenya for a whole year, Michael Bruni "AKA derbruhaha AKA Donald AKA Shoe Horn", who will be leaving on a traineeship to Japan for 9 months, and myself who will be moving to dreary old Manhatten for the rest of my immediate life.
As some of you have experienced first hand, Madison has turned partying into an art form. We take it seriously, and we would like nothing more than to house the entire Nomadlife community for one or two nights of all out debauchery. E-mail me at takrupp-at-gmail.com for any questions or to RSVP. I hear that even his Dodeness may make an appearence...
I write to inform everyone of a couple good-bye events happening in Madison, WI, USA.
#1) Saturday, May 14th, 10PM: My very own, graduation party! That's right, I'm going off into the real world and going to make something happen. And to commenorate the event I will be throwing a huge graduation party for all the AIESECers and people who have impacted me over the last 4 years. There will be a party, and it wont stop until 8 in the mornin'. Take Monday off of work. Interested? Hit up my blog
#2) Tuesday, May 24th, 10PM: Mix's 21st birthday party and the LAST party at the Madison AIESEC House. We've had some great memories here in at the Lodge (as we like to call it): Including Halloween, as some may remember (or not) and the great times had with the numerous random strikers all the way from frozen St. Cloud, MN to warm and hippy Austin, TX. We want everyone to share in the ending of a great age at AIESEC - Madison and We will go out in style: Come early for the 9PM HOUR OF POWER, and stay for the 9AM HOUR OF POWER.
Subsequently, come to either or both events and say goodbye to Mix who is going to Egypt for 9 months, Burbs, who will be on Salaam this summer and then to Kenya for a whole year, Michael Bruni "AKA derbruhaha AKA Donald AKA Shoe Horn", who will be leaving on a traineeship to Japan for 9 months, and myself who will be moving to dreary old Manhatten for the rest of my immediate life.
As some of you have experienced first hand, Madison has turned partying into an art form. We take it seriously, and we would like nothing more than to house the entire Nomadlife community for one or two nights of all out debauchery. E-mail me at takrupp-at-gmail.com for any questions or to RSVP. I hear that even his Dodeness may make an appearence...
Equal Religious Rights for Women
Times are changing and women are no longer taking a back seat in religion and refusing to continue to allow men to tell them how they can and cannot practice their religion and live their lives.
An Islamic Bill of Rights for Women in the Bedroom
1. Women have an Islamic right to respectful and pleasurable sexual experience.
2. Women have an Islamic right to make independent decisions about their bodies, including the right to say no to sex.
3. Women have an Islamic right to make independent decisions about their partner, including the right to say no to a husband marrying a second wife.
4. Women have an Islamic right to make independent decisions about their choice of a partner.
(Continued Here)
An Islamic Bill of Rights for Women in the Bedroom
1. Women have an Islamic right to respectful and pleasurable sexual experience.
2. Women have an Islamic right to make independent decisions about their bodies, including the right to say no to sex.
3. Women have an Islamic right to make independent decisions about their partner, including the right to say no to a husband marrying a second wife.
4. Women have an Islamic right to make independent decisions about their choice of a partner.
(Continued Here)
How does a Star Wars lightsaber work?
" The technique used to create the lightsaber effect is pretty straightforward, but tedious. On the set, the actors use props composed of handles that have aluminum rods attached to them, and these rods are the length of the lightsaber "blade." The handles are plastic models and the aluminum rods are painted red or green or blue. The actors use these props as though they were lightsabers." (howstuffworks)
Writings of Liberal Islamic Network
"Today, certain Muslim intellectuals and scholars agree that the prohibition against the idea of woman being religious leaders is a consequence of male domination in patriarchal Arab society. In other words, it is not an element of religious doctrine given by God but a socio-cultural construct." (Liberal Islamic Network)
Why Smart People Have Bad Ideas? (essay)
"We should have expected this. It's very common for a group of founders to go through one lame idea before realizing that a startup has to make something people will pay for. In fact, we ourselves did." (Paul Graham)
Kofi Annan: On Larger Freedom
"Dealing with today's threats requires broad, deep, and sustained global cooperation. Thus the states of the world must create a collective security system to prevent terrorism, strengthen nonproliferation, and bring peace to war-torn areas, while also promoting human rights, democracy, and development. And the UN must go through its most radical overhaul yet." (Foreign Affairs)
Bernard Lewis on the Middle East
" To speak of dictatorship as being the immemorial way of doing things in the Middle East is simply untrue. It shows ignorance of the Arab past, contempt for the Arab present, and lack of concern for the Arab future. Creating a democratic political and social order in Iraq or elsewhere in the region will not be easy. But it is possible, and there are increasing signs that it has already begun." (Foreign Affairs Magazine)
Reason interviewed Yassin al-Haj Saleh
"Syrian writer and dissident Yassin al-Haj Saleh has been one of the most daring and interesting voices coming out of Syria in recent years, and is regularly published in the weekly cultural supplement of Lebanon's daily Al-Nahar (as well as in the English-language Daily Star). It is hard to imagine that this modest, low-key man spent his entire youth, and rather longer, in prison, for belonging to a dissident communist movement. To look back at the behavior of the Syrian regime, but also to predict its future, who better to ask than one of its victims, a victim who was not broken and now watches the gradual disintegration of his tormentors." (reason)
Time Traveller Convention this Saturday
"What's more, it is possible to travel back in time, to any place, any era. Where would people go? Would they zoom to a 2005 Saturday night for chips and burgers in a college courtyard, eager to schmooze with computer science majors possessing way too many brain cells?
Why not, say some students at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, who have organized what they call the first convention for time travelers.
Actually, they contend that theirs is the only time traveler convention the world needs, because people from the future can travel to it anytime they want." (NYTimes)
This is the event info.
The Time Traveler Convention
May 7, 2005, 10:00pm EDT (08 May 2005 02:00:00 UTC)(events start at 8:00pm)
East Campus Courtyard, MIT3 Ames St. Cambridge, MA 02142
42:21:36.025°N, 71:05:16.332°W
(42.360007,-071.087870 in decimal degrees)
(The Time Traveller Convention Official Website)
I will try to attend this event a week from now :)
Why not, say some students at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, who have organized what they call the first convention for time travelers.
Actually, they contend that theirs is the only time traveler convention the world needs, because people from the future can travel to it anytime they want." (NYTimes)
This is the event info.
The Time Traveler Convention
May 7, 2005, 10:00pm EDT (08 May 2005 02:00:00 UTC)(events start at 8:00pm)
East Campus Courtyard, MIT3 Ames St. Cambridge, MA 02142
42:21:36.025°N, 71:05:16.332°W
(42.360007,-071.087870 in decimal degrees)
(The Time Traveller Convention Official Website)
I will try to attend this event a week from now :)
Thursday, May 05, 2005
Don't bring burritos to work, you can be considered a terrorist
In Clovis, New Mexico someone called the authorities after seeing a boy carrying something long and wrapped into Marshall Junior High.
It turned out to be a huge Burrito that one student had done for an extra-credit assignment to create commercial advertising for a product, and the boy decided to make up a restaurant specialized in "Large Burritos".
So be carefull next time you think about bringing food to work ha, ha, ha. Full story, click here
It turned out to be a huge Burrito that one student had done for an extra-credit assignment to create commercial advertising for a product, and the boy decided to make up a restaurant specialized in "Large Burritos".
So be carefull next time you think about bringing food to work ha, ha, ha. Full story, click here
Music and Charity
Instead of spending $150,000 on a music video, Sarah McLachlan and her production team spent $15 and gave the rest to the world.
To help put it in perspective, watch the video for World on Fire.
To help put it in perspective, watch the video for World on Fire.
05 05 05
Today is Cinco de Mayo, a pretty big day in Mexico and it's also celebrated in the US.
Oh, and in the US, it's also celebrated like "St. Paddy's day" - Mexican style; pass the Tequillas.
Oh, and in the US, it's also celebrated like "St. Paddy's day" - Mexican style; pass the Tequillas.
The Africa you Never See
Consider a few facts: The Ghana Stock Exchange regularly tops the list of the world's highest-performing stock markets. Botswana, with its A+ credit rating, boasts one of the highest per capita government savings rates in the world, topped only by Singapore and a handful of other fiscally prudent nations. Cell phones are making phenomenal profits on the continent. Brand-name companies like Coca-Cola, GM, Caterpillar and Citibank have invested in Africa for years and are quite bullish on the future.
The failure to show this side of Africa creates a one-dimensional caricature of a complex continent. Imagine if 9/11, the Oklahoma City bombing and school shootings were all that the rest of the world knew about America.
(Washington Post)
The failure to show this side of Africa creates a one-dimensional caricature of a complex continent. Imagine if 9/11, the Oklahoma City bombing and school shootings were all that the rest of the world knew about America.
(Washington Post)
Wednesday, May 04, 2005
Larry Miller blogs
"Every organization is unique and presents its own challenges. Needless to say, AIESEC was challenging, unique, and a lot of fun to work with. I won'€™t bore you with all of my other adventures, but they include serving on the board of small university in Switzerland, born of great ideas and dedication, but lacking any viable business model. I was drawn into a half time job (no pay!) in Switzerland, working to rescue this poor child. But, I am afraid the finances were beyond repair." (Larry Miller)
Who are Young Global Leaders?
http://younggloballeaders.org/
And these are those people.
The list includes my favourite Irish hottie, Pulitzer winning Author & human rights campaigner, Samantha Power.
And these are those people.
The list includes my favourite Irish hottie, Pulitzer winning Author & human rights campaigner, Samantha Power.
Computer security at the Pentagon
At first, the 42 pages of the report which would supposedly shed some light on the March 4 killing of Italian secret agent Nicola Calipari and the wounding of kidnapped journalist Giuliana Sgrena in Baghdad showed up on the Centcom website as a PDF file heavily censored with large sections blacked out - including the significant omission, among others, of the names of all the soldiers involved in the shooting, as well as entire pages.
But because the Pentagon failed to save the file properly, all it took was for someone to cut and paste the document into a word-processing application to give Italy and the rest of the world access to the full, uncensored version.
(Asia Times)
But because the Pentagon failed to save the file properly, all it took was for someone to cut and paste the document into a word-processing application to give Italy and the rest of the world access to the full, uncensored version.
(Asia Times)
nomad wedding
Congratulations to Simi on the marriage in Vegas this past weekend! On behalf of the entire nomadlife family I'm happy to wish you the very best.
Absolut Nomad
Thea is going to live in Ethiopia. I think this is the most impressive piece of nomadlife travel I am aware of - amazing. Go and send her your congratulations, and any tips on Ethiopia you may have. Hip-hip-hooray, babe!
How many zeros does 1 trillion have?
Just found this so amusing that I had to blog about this...
Question of the day: How many zeros does 1 trillion have?
12 zeros or 18 zeros? How about 1 billion?
1 million we know for sure is 6 zeros yah but according to this website:
Trillion
The word trillion denotes different numbers in American and British usage. In the American system, one trillion equals 1012. In the British, French, and German systems, one trillion equals 1018.
AND
Billion
The word billion denotes different numbers in American and British usage. In the American system, one billion equals 109. In the British, French, and German systems, one billion equals 1012. In recent years, however, the "American" system has become common in both the United States and Britain. This constitutes a fortunate development for standardization of terminology, albeit a somewhat regrettable development from the point of view that the British convention for representing large numbers is simpler and more logical than the American one.
"The system used in the U.S. is not as logical as that used in other countries (like Great Britain, France, and Germany). In these other countries, a billion (bi meaning two) has twice as many zeros as a million, and a trillion (tri meaning three) has three times as many zeros as a million, etc. But the scientific community seems to use the American system."
Question of the day: How many zeros does 1 trillion have?
12 zeros or 18 zeros? How about 1 billion?
1 million we know for sure is 6 zeros yah but according to this website:
Trillion
The word trillion denotes different numbers in American and British usage. In the American system, one trillion equals 1012. In the British, French, and German systems, one trillion equals 1018.
AND
Billion
The word billion denotes different numbers in American and British usage. In the American system, one billion equals 109. In the British, French, and German systems, one billion equals 1012. In recent years, however, the "American" system has become common in both the United States and Britain. This constitutes a fortunate development for standardization of terminology, albeit a somewhat regrettable development from the point of view that the British convention for representing large numbers is simpler and more logical than the American one.
"The system used in the U.S. is not as logical as that used in other countries (like Great Britain, France, and Germany). In these other countries, a billion (bi meaning two) has twice as many zeros as a million, and a trillion (tri meaning three) has three times as many zeros as a million, etc. But the scientific community seems to use the American system."
Tuesday, May 03, 2005
What's an Egyptian doing in California ?
That almost sounds like a bad joke ... but see what Shady, Salaam trainee has to say about his stay in California. Here !
Canadians are shallow
"Most parents would deny it, but Canadian researchers have found that physical attractiveness affects how children are treated, according to a report Tuesday in The New York Times." (msnbc)
a day in a nomadlife
Monday, May 02, 2005
Mind game - are you up for it???
Hello everyone....I spent part of my weekend trying to figure out the following logic game that was masterminded by Einstein himself. This is a game that he used to test the logical thoughts of his students when he was giving classes in Schaffhausen.Let's see if you can solve it as well.
Please read the following sentences carefully and them relate them:
- There are 5 houses and each has a different colour;
- In each house lives a person with a different nationality;
- Each person has a different pet, smokes a different brand of cigarretes and drinks a different type of drink;
- The Englishmen lives in the red house;
- The Swedish has dogs;
- The Dannish drinks tea;
- The green house is locates on the left side of the white house;
- The person that lives on the green house drinks coffee;
- The person that smokes "Marlboro" raises birds;
- The person who lives in the yellow house smokes "Hollywood";
- The person who lives in the house in the middle drinks milk;
- The Norwegian lives in the first house;
- The person who smokes "Charme" lives right next to the person who raises cats;
- The person who raises horses lives right next to the person who smokes "Hollywood";
- The person who smokes "Free", drinks beer;
- The German smokes "Camel";
- The Norwegian lives next to the blue house;
- The person who smokes "Charme" lives right next to the one who drinks water.
Now take a deeo breath and answer the following question: Who has the fish as a pet animal?
Can anyone help?
I need some expert help on where / whom to stay with in Shanghai and a little bit about living expenses for a week...
I have applied to a course that is hosted 1 week in Shanghai and would like to find any reliable, fun information.
Thanks!!
Beatriz
I have applied to a course that is hosted 1 week in Shanghai and would like to find any reliable, fun information.
Thanks!!
Beatriz
this just in..
AMSTERDAM--American students traveling abroad confirm the findings of a study indicating that Washington's unilateral approach to foreign policy has seriously undermined Americans' chances of getting laid.
Report: U.S. Foreign Policy Hurting American Students' Chances Of Getting Laid Abroad
The report, released Monday by the Center For U.S.-International Casual Relations, was based on interviews with approximately 1,400 American students returning from abroad. According to study director Gilbert Hapbrook, sexual contact between American students and foreigners has declined steadily since January 2001. (TheOnion)
Report: U.S. Foreign Policy Hurting American Students' Chances Of Getting Laid Abroad
The report, released Monday by the Center For U.S.-International Casual Relations, was based on interviews with approximately 1,400 American students returning from abroad. According to study director Gilbert Hapbrook, sexual contact between American students and foreigners has declined steadily since January 2001. (TheOnion)
Happy Birthday Dave
Dave Winer, the pioneer of weblogs, RSS and podcasting celebrates his 50th birthday today. Another proof that one person can catalyze change in the world. And the next best thing coming out of Madison after Aiesec Madison and The Onion.
White House Jokes
"Judging from the laughter in the Washington Hilton ballroom at Mrs. Bush's words - "George's answer to any problem at the ranch is to cut it down with a chain saw, which I think is why he and Cheney and Rumsfeld get along so well" - Mrs. Bush has a future in political stand-up comedy." (NYTimes)
By tradition, US Presidents delivers jokes in White House Correspondents' Association's annual dinner. This year, the first lady delivered it.
Check the video out; it received uniformly positive reviews.
By tradition, US Presidents delivers jokes in White House Correspondents' Association's annual dinner. This year, the first lady delivered it.
Check the video out; it received uniformly positive reviews.
Democracy in Mexico
Mexico's Fox fires attorney general to ease crisis
By Kieran Murray
MEXICO CITY (Reuters) - President Vicente Fox fired his attorney general on Wednesday to try to end a crisis over legal charges that threaten to knock Mexico's most popular politician out of next year's presidential elections.
The move was a victory for Mexico City's leftist mayor, Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, who holds a strong lead in polls for the elections but would be blocked from running if found guilty in the case.
Under intense pressure, Fox fired Rafael Macedo, the attorney general who led the campaign to put Lopez Obrador on trial for contempt of court charges in a land dispute.
"My government will prevent no one from participating in the next federal election race," Fox said in a national television and radio address...
By Kieran Murray
MEXICO CITY (Reuters) - President Vicente Fox fired his attorney general on Wednesday to try to end a crisis over legal charges that threaten to knock Mexico's most popular politician out of next year's presidential elections.
The move was a victory for Mexico City's leftist mayor, Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, who holds a strong lead in polls for the elections but would be blocked from running if found guilty in the case.
Under intense pressure, Fox fired Rafael Macedo, the attorney general who led the campaign to put Lopez Obrador on trial for contempt of court charges in a land dispute.
"My government will prevent no one from participating in the next federal election race," Fox said in a national television and radio address...
Gems from Sir Charler Barkley
"
Charles Barkley: "I'm so sick of fat people."
Kenny Smith: "Why? You can't live with yourself?"
Barkley: "First of all, they killed Oreos. You know they can't make the Double-Stuff Oreos anymore because fat people can't keep their mouths shut. Now they're killing the McDonald's super-size. Can you believe that? Just because fat people are lazy and don't work out and can't keep they're mouths shut, they have to ruin it for everybody. They'll probably kill ice cream next! Is that my fault they can't stop eating? I'm so sick of these fat people suing these companies. Stop eating!"" (more)
Charles Barkley: "I'm so sick of fat people."
Kenny Smith: "Why? You can't live with yourself?"
Barkley: "First of all, they killed Oreos. You know they can't make the Double-Stuff Oreos anymore because fat people can't keep their mouths shut. Now they're killing the McDonald's super-size. Can you believe that? Just because fat people are lazy and don't work out and can't keep they're mouths shut, they have to ruin it for everybody. They'll probably kill ice cream next! Is that my fault they can't stop eating? I'm so sick of these fat people suing these companies. Stop eating!"" (more)
Sunday, May 01, 2005
Does the future belong to China?
"There have been two great shifts in global power over the past 400 years. The first was the rise of Europe, which around the 17th century became the richest, most enterprising and ambitious part of the world. The second was the rise of the United States, in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, when it became the single most powerful country in the world, the globe's decisive player in economics and politics.
For centuries, the rest of the world was a stage for the ambitions and interests of the West's great powers. China's rise, along with that of India and the continuing weight of Japan, represents the third great shift in global power—the rise of Asia." (newsweek)
Our friends our safe in Egypt - but more bad news.
So this is really starting to piss me off. Why Egypt ??? Damn it. An abstract of what happened yesterday.
---
Two veiled women opened fire on a bus carrying foreign tourists and the fiance of one of the woman blew himself up when he leaped off a bridge during a police chase in the Egyptian capital, Cairo, yesterday.
Seven people were hurt by the explosion, three Egyptians, an Israeli couple, a Swedish man and an Italian woman. The blast, a nail bomb, went off in a crowded square between an exclusive hotel on the banks of the Nile and the Egyptian museum.
Link to article here.
---
Two veiled women opened fire on a bus carrying foreign tourists and the fiance of one of the woman blew himself up when he leaped off a bridge during a police chase in the Egyptian capital, Cairo, yesterday.
Seven people were hurt by the explosion, three Egyptians, an Israeli couple, a Swedish man and an Italian woman. The blast, a nail bomb, went off in a crowded square between an exclusive hotel on the banks of the Nile and the Egyptian museum.
Link to article here.
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