text:
True Crime: New York City Gameplay Movie 3
Check out a wild ride in this clip.
Check out a wild ride in this clip.
Take a look at an awesome shootout in this movie.
True Crime: New York City gets off to a gritty start in this clip.
Marcus uses his car to enforce justice.
A criminal fails to escape Marcus on a motorcycle.
Marcus clears an alleyway of viscous criminals.
Marcus gets a workout.
A car full of thugs is pulled over.
Thugs in a nightclub are subdued.
Marcus experiences some strange behavior from NY citizens.
Marcus experiences some strange behavior from a fellow cop.
It's the last show for this punk rock band.
Laurence Fishburne talks about lending his voice to True Crime: New York City in this interview.
Take a look at a nice stroll through Chinatown in this movie.
Activision's Tim Hess sits down to discuss what to expect in True Crime: New York City.
Check out a routine drug bust in this movie.
Take a look at a training procedure in this clip.
Check out an intense shootout in a back alley of New York City.
Detective Reed fins some criminal evidence in the trunk of a car.
As Markus does some investigating, he comes across some resistance.
Detective Reed does what it takes in order to stay inside a museum.
A big gunfight breaks out in a dark alley way.
Detective Marcus Reed takes care of a drug dealer to prove to Rita how he's not like the other cops she has spoken to.
You shouldn't play with fire.
Don't miss out on this amazing cinematic trailer for True Crime: New York City
Take a look at the first footage of True Crime 2 in this mind-blowing trailer.
Use your keyboard!
Log in to comment


text:
Some days start out historic. The gay civil rights movement has reached the Supreme Court — a milestone by any measure. We won't know what the justices will decide until June, but it is not too early to reflect on how we got here.
The sea change in public opinion on gay rights in general and same-sex marriage in particular has been unprecedented. A decade ago, just 27% of Americans backed same-sex marriage; today it is a clear majority.
In recent weeks, politicians like Hillary Clinton and Republicans Jon Huntsman and Rob Portman have declared their support for marriage equality. And while far more elected Democrats than Republicans support same-sex marriage, polls show that this is increasingly more of a generational divide than a partisan divide. In fact, a majority of Republicans under age 50 now support the freedom to marry — including more than 60% of evangelicals under 30.
How did this happen? First, give the activists their due. Thought leaders like Evan Wolfson and Andrew Sullivan deserve a lot of credit for taking early stands in favor of the freedom to marry. Former San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom also brought recognition to the issue by officiating over same-sex marriage ceremonies at City Hall.
The movement to encourage gays and lesbians to publicly come out has also broken down barriers, forcing friends and family members to confront reality, leading to greater compassion and recognition of the moral imperative of civil rights, rooted in the golden rule: Treat others as you would like to be treated.
But the mainstreaming of marriage equality reflects a strategic shift as well as a cultural shift. Instead of activists bringing attention to the cause with street theater tactics that often alienate more people than they attract, there has been a relatively recent move to build bridges beyond the base. This means outreach to Republicans as well as making counter-intuitively conservative arguments for same-sex marriage.
Embodying this strategic shift is Ted Olson, the former Bush administration solicitor general who teamed up with David Boies, his opponent in the Bush v Gore Supreme Court case, to argue that California's Proposition 8 banning same-sex marriage was unconstitutional. I interviewed them in 2010 and their comments reflected many of the arguments Olson made at the Supreme Court on Tuesday.
"We as conservatives should support the right of decent taxpaying citizens and individuals who want a stable relationship that forms a building block of our neighborhoods and our economy and our society," Olson said. "These are people that want to participate in life as citizens the way the rest of us do. We should be supportive as conservatives and as liberals. It's not exclusive to either party or either part of the political spectrum."
"This is not and should not be viewed as a conservative or liberal or Republican or Democratic issue," Boies added. "This is a civil-rights issue and a human-rights issue."
This is an essentially centrist strategy: Define the common ground that exists on any given issue and then build on it, proceeding from broad principle rather than partisan politics and positional bargaining.
Olson and Boies, a Republican and a Democrat, are proud members of their parties. But their powerful partnership represents an understanding of the vital center as a dynamic way of solving problems, creating new coalitions that can help overturn decades of stubborn stereotypes about the split-the-difference impulse of the "mushy middle."
Look at the ads that have been run in favor of marriage equality, especially this effort by the Respect for Marriage coalition (which, full disclosure, my wife and fellow CNN contributor, Margaret Hoover, participated in) that included public testimonies in favor of marriage equality by Colin Powell, Dick Cheney and President Obama, highlighting unexpected common ground.
Notice the images of apple pie Americana that begin the ad, making the visual case that marriage is an essentially conservative institution that leads to societal stability and reduced dependence on the government.
Likewise, look at the 131 Republicans who signed on to the amicus brief in support of the freedom to marry, including prominent members of the Bush administration and the Romney campaign, both of which had pledged to pursue a federal marriage amendment.
It is a heartening sign of centrists and libertarians breaking the social conservative stranglehold on the GOP. It is a reminder that the essence of evangelism is winning converts.
Language also matters. To some ears, "Gay marriage" is more polarizing than "freedom to marry" (the preferred term for conservatives) and "marriage equality" (a phraseology that unites liberals). The emphasis on individual freedom and civil rights helps humanize the issue.
All this is a form of triangulation: trying to achieve progress on policy by depolarizing an issue, creating new coalitions. It is effective. And it is built on a sturdy foundation because it reminds us of deeper truths, namely that there is more that unites us than divides us as Americans. Perhaps not coincidentally, it also is the type of argument that might sway swing votes on the Supreme Court — as well as swing voters — to support this extension of individual civil rights.
The shift in public opinion overturns centuries of established thought about marriage influenced by culture and religion. The fact that it has been comparatively rapid is a reflection of the durability and flexibility of our democracy. We can adapt as part of our never-ending effort to form a more perfect union.
Whatever the Supreme Court ultimately decides about the constitutionality of Proposition 8 and the Defense of Marriage Act, the movement of same-sex marriage from the margins to the mainstream has been achieved.
Opinion: California wants a do-over on same-sex marriage vote
The centrist model by which it moved forward can be replicated as we try to call a ceasefire in the culture wars and actually start to solve problems through the process of addition rather than division.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Everybody knows that 'ovi' means 'door' in Finnish and everybody deals with at least one door every day of their life. Whether it is the fridge door, medicine cabinet door, bedroom door, front door, garage door, trap door or a stable door, there are doors to be opened, closed and locked in all aspects of our daily lives. We invite you to share your favourite doors with us in our 'The Doors' exhibition by sending a photograph and a description to firstname.lastname@example.com
The door from Xanthi, Greece
Taken by Lilian Badani


text:
Loyola University spokeswoman Maeve Kiley said Thursday afternoon that the body recovered from the lake "is Christopher Evans." She said Loyola officials received confirmation of that earlier Thursday afternoon.
A couple hours after the body was recovered on Thursday police canceled the missing person alert, saying that Evans was "no longer unaccounted for." Neither police nor the medical examiner's office would say yet if the body pulled from the water was Evans.
The body was discovered at 8:30 a.m. Thursday morning, a short distance from the water's edge. The Chicago Police Department's Marine Unit was initially called to the scene after a woman reported seeing a body floating in the water.
Evans, 25, was last seen early Sunday morning just a half a mile away from the harbor at a Lakeview bar. Friends said Evans was last seen running in the direction of the lake about 1:30 a.m. Sunday.
Evans was a part-time student at Loyola University, where he was enrolled in the MBA program in the Quinlan School of Business, according to the university. He was also a financial analyst at Loyola in the Financial Services Office. Kiley said that the university would likely hold some type of memorial service for Evans in the near future.
The Sun-Times Media Wire contributed to this report.


text:
AAA Flat Cut Teak (Burmese) Veneer Sheet
Width: 15.25"
Length: 97"
Square Feet: 10.27
Thickness: 1/45"
Flat: Yes
Veneer #: 31587
Sheets in Stock: 10
Before ordering, click here to learn more about how we measure and list veneer.More veneer like this can be found in this category.
More Information
This unbacked and unfinished wood veneer is priced and sold by the sheet. The width, length, and thickness shown above are approximate.
Orders for two or more sheets will be shipped in sequence so a variety of lay out patterns including bookmatching can be achieved.
Good news! This veneer has been pressed flat and should stay that way if stored and acclimated appropriately.
Photo Comments
The picture shown is the actual bundle from which your order will be fulfilled. We do not artificially enhance the character or grain of our veneer images. When a finish is applied, any figure in this veneer will be greatly enhanced.
Balance Veneer
Don't forget to balance your veneer panel. This is a critical and often overlooked fundamental of veneering. We now stock a small variety of affordable balance veneers.


text:
Friday, July 1, 2011
Purple Bling Bling Wedding CakeJacqueline July 01, 2011
Chocolat - French for Chocolate. I adored chocolate from a young age when I had to sneak in the cupboard to find where my mother had hidden the Nestle's Chocolate Chips. Having read about the famous chocolat shoppes in Paris, when I finally got there I was determined to try a chocolate from every Paris shoppe. I invite you to share my adventures in creating, in travel, and in life.
you may also like
32 comments:
Well, purple and pink are related.....ReplyDelete
It looks like a hat. Not the goofy hats like the ones wore for Will and Kate's wedding though. Beautiful cake.ReplyDelete
I think this wedding must have been absolutely gorgeous. That cake is beautiful. I think you have the skills to duplicate this cake. I like the bridal gown as well. Very different than any I've seen lately. Your friend does fantastic floral arrangements. Thanks for sharing this. xo,ReplyDelete
That cake is incredibly gorgeous. I love the bling.ReplyDelete
Oh, I want an invitation to your next significant birthday! LOL This cake is definitely Purple Chocolate Home. What a gorgeous cake, and Sarah is stunning!ReplyDelete
Thanks for sharing. ~ Sarah
Wow! That is an amazing cake. Who did it? sarah looks beautiful! Hollie's flowers are lovelyReplyDelete
That is one gorgeous cake! Love it! It must have cost a bunch. Nice wedding reception, love the flowers too...and her dress! :DReplyDelete
I love weddings and as the daughter of a professional wedding cake decorator, I always have to check out the cake right away! That cake is so beautiful and absolutely perfect for you too!!ReplyDelete
When I first caught a look at the cake, I thought for sure that you were going to tell us that you had made it! Was it chocolate? It just screams you! The reception was beautifully done. Thank you for sharing it with us. Cherry KayReplyDelete
Absolutely stunning!ReplyDelete
Oh I wish I had that much talent!ReplyDelete
Beautiful bride!!...and oww that cake !!!!!!!!!!!...i never see something before...it is great !!!..enjoy a hapy weekend....love Ria....xxx...ReplyDelete
That's a beautiful cake! Love that the reception was held in a greenhouse, it looks like fun! Happy July 4th Weekend Jacqueline:@)ReplyDelete
What a beautiful special cake. It looks like a beautiful very expensive hat-box and the hat on top. Something like Audrey Hepburn would have worn. Really Stunning. And agorgeous brideReplyDelete
Happy pink Saturday
Jacqueline, THAT is the most phenomenal cake I have ever seen...I need to go see her work. THE STUDS, were they edible dragués????? MY GOODNESS, you bring the best of bling in PURPLE!!! ENJOY THE FOURTH, AnitaReplyDelete
What a beautiful cake, and so well done! I would like to have been a fly on the wall at this wedding, I am sure it was all just lovely.ReplyDelete
JACKIE!!! You are so sweet to post about the cake and some of our wedding! I KNEW you would just LOVE the cake after I had ordered it lol. It was gorgeous and I loved the entire day.ReplyDelete
Thank you so much for being not only being a part of the day but for being a part of my growing up. You're amazing in all you do, and thank you again for being there that day!
*Sarah Buck :)
The studs were actually rhinestones and non-edible, they were to be removed before eating!ReplyDelete
- AnonymousJuly 2, 2011 at 9:31 AM
oh, that looks FABULOUS!!! and so you, anneReplyDelete
JACQUELINE! Then those WERE rhinestones! That is the most beautiful cake I have ever seen. AND THAT RAINBOW CAKE!!! I was unable to find the actual source, but it was in Pinterest.YOU CAN GET THE RECIPE? I wonder how people can get a cake to look so perfectly TALL and straight! Oh, have a wonderful day! Thank you for visiting, AnitaReplyDelete
Oh my gosh - I have never seen a wedding cake like that before! I'd have a hard time cutting into it, if I were the bride ;-)ReplyDelete
Happy 4th of July and PS!
Some kind of beautiful cake that was! Flowers were amazing too. Can't go wrong with all those gorgeous colors.ReplyDelete
This cake is PERFECTLY "over the top" gorgeous! You must have been giddy over it;)ReplyDelete
What an absolutely gorgeous cake. I love the different heights and bling :)ReplyDelete
That is the most unique wedding cake I have ever seen and I think that it would be perfect for your next purple event. Is it "chocolat" or vanilla? LindaReplyDelete
There is no other word for that gorgeous cake but stunning. Everything is beautiful, especially the lovely bride.ReplyDelete
Awesome cake, lovely setting, gorgeous flowers, beautiful bride - who looks a bit like a brunette Carrie Underwood! I enjoyed this post, Jacqueline, and I wish you a happy 4th of July!ReplyDelete
Hugs, Beth
This is for sure going to be my wedding cake!! WOW! It looks fabulous!ReplyDelete
Absolutely stunning!ReplyDelete
Oh that CAKE! Too beautiful to cut...It does look like a Purple Chocolat Home cake! What talent~ I had to click on their link to see more of their stunning creations! Beautiful bride too~ she looks like a brunette Carrie Underwood!ReplyDelete
What a neat cake.So unique. Thanks for sharing with Seasonal Sundays.ReplyDelete
- The Tablescaper
Bonjour JacquelineReplyDelete
Un beau mariage
Tout est magnifique
Long life aux jeunes mariés
Have a nice week-end
Your comments are the highlight of my day! Leave a comment and then I can come and visit your blog. Have a wonderful day! Unfortunately I have had to block anonymous comments, hope you understand.
Follow me on Instagram
Join My Adventures
Search This Blog
Tales of the Traveling Tote
Thanks for visiting ! Jacqueline
My Treasures
Love My Followers!
Popular Posts
This summary is not available. Please click here to view the post.
Beaulah and I thought we should make a cake to celebrate the lucky winner of the Williams Sonoma Copper Soup Station. We fe...
Have you noticed that some restaurants become famous for the breads they serve and the bread is why you want to go there again and ...
Beaulah loves the color green. She feels like it compliments her skin tones. I would agree, they are both green! (I b...
Walk past Hagrid's hut and join me in the Wizarding World of Harry Potter Where you can buy Rosmerta's famous ...


text:
How to MOOCify your course and why you should do it: Reasons, skills and tools #moocmooc [update]
This post is part of the MOOC MOOC course of work. It outlines my journey (now lasting over a year) towards adopting elements of a MOOC in the Inclusive Technologies for Reading (#ITR12) course pilot starting this September. This not a description of the process, more a reflection towards the end of it.
- 1 Update
- 2 So you want to run a MOOC?
- 3 Why MOOC in?
- 4 Does it have to quack like a MOOC?
- 5 MOOCify
- 6 Tools of mass MOOCification
- 7 The skills of the successful MOOCer
- 8 MOOC+ the tools for your next MOOC
- 9 Is that it?
- 10 The MOOC and I (some background by way of a postscript)
I was inspired by the comment by Vivian Halloran below sharing her ideas about how she's MOOCifying her course to create a repository of MOOCified courses. This could help all MOOCifiers to see how others are making their courses MOOC-like. You can use this form to enter your info.
So you want to run a MOOC?
MOOCs are the thing. Just grab a forum and a Twitter account and do a MOOC. Be a MOOC, seize the MOOC by the horns. MOOC it all up!
But you're not Stanford with infinite resources and high-profile professors, you're not Stephen Downes with a reputation and an audience for everything you say. So how do you go about it?
Should you even start? Or is it all just so much hype?
Why MOOC in?
I think these are the reasons you might want to do a MOOC:
- You want to reach a wider audience with the subject you believe is important
- You want to deepen the learning of your students through engagement
- You want to encourage significant peer interaction beyond forum posts
- You want to make sure that your students draw upon the open content already present in your field and get both a realistic experience of the field and make first real connections with it
- You want all the hard work your students put in during the course to be a contribution to the field itself
These are valid reasons to do a MOOC but I don't think they would be sufficient on their own (at least not for me) unless you also have one or two of the above:
- You want to reduce the cost of education
- You want to market your institution and increase its reputation
- You are an early adopter and experimenter at heart who cannot stay away from shiny new things (I'm looking in the mirror here)
- You want to be seen as being on the cutting edge (not as bad as it sounds)
Does it have to quack like a MOOC?
But MOOCs are huge and require giving up so much of what I do now, you may object. I have to follow all these steps to make a MOOC? Where do I find the time and resources?
But there's more than one way to skin a MOOC. I tried to outline some of them in an earlier post:
All of the words comprising the acronym have multiple interpretations:
- Massive is a relative term. Let's say you teach cuneiform to 3 students a year. Increasing it to 20 with MOOCification counts as 'massive' in my book. The original MOOCs had 2,500 enrollments, the famous Stanford AI MOOC had 100,000. If you run courses under 50, 200-500 would be pretty massive. But massive could also stand for massive engagement and interconnections.
- Open can also be many things to mean people. The radical way of being open is using an open platform, open content, have students do all the work in the open, or maybe the outcomes of the course are open themselves. But for others, open is just free. Open enrollment without the checking of prerequisites. And for some just using Twitter and blog posts instead of forums and a VLE might satisfy the definition of open. You could possibly even charge for parts of the course – like issuing certificates.
- Online is also a relative term. Online is what makes it all possible but it doesn't have to be purely online. Your students can do face-to-face meetups. There could be summer schools, barcamps, unconferences that are a part of it.
- Course is perhaps the least variable part of the acronym. Most MOOCs have a beginning and an end, a topic to engage with every week, and some preset outcomes and a semblance of a syllabus. But these could be very traditional or very non-traditional. Students or "students" can be involved in their development in all sorts of ways.
The MOOC MOOC (a meta MOOC which was more like a workshop) Twitter stream produced the term MOOCify. And that should probably be the aim.
Despite the criticism they have been receiving lately, MOOCs offer undeniably powerful learning experiences accessible to many who previously would not have had the opportunity. They do not address all of the needs of a reformed educational system and they do not fit the needs of all the students or all the educators all of the time. But what's that thing about the MOOC and the bath water?
Everybody who has experienced a MOOC has at least some positive experiences. Some even think it's a panacea for higher education, though I am not one of them, I certainly understand how somebody can think that. Even the people who criticize MOOCs are reacting more to the hype than the experience itself.
But if you try a successful MOOC, chances are, you'll want to replicate at least some of that experience in your learning, teaching and professional development. So what do you need.
Tools of mass MOOCification
The MOOC MOOC crowd produced a spreadsheet of MOOC sexy tools but I think the trick is to keep it simple. Give students and yourself easy and open tools for communication (as easy and as open, as you can).
I would start with the assumption that every participant in your MOOC-like creation will need a PLN (Personal Learning Network) and the intersection of all the PLNs with each other and the content of your course will result in the MOOCification.
Basic tools to MOOCify
Here are the tools I would start with:
- Course hub: You need somewhere to put stuff up about the course. This could be the traditional VLE / LMS that you're already using, or WordPress Blog or Google Sites or some other CMS. Ultimately, you just need a webpage people can get to. Depending on access, you might also want to run a forum for Q&A as part of the hub and maybe some sort of a link/feed collector. If you have more technical resources, you may want to start some sort of a dashboard that would collate all the feeds.
- Blogs and other content creation tools: Keep it simple, you smart person. Use WordPress. It's easy, free and has many hosting options. I'd advise the students to start a WordPress.com blog for the course (unless they want to use their own on another platform like Blogspot). Tumblr might also be an good alternative.
- Twitter and the hashtag Twitter can provide the glue to your MOOC. Or maybe the lifeblood. Or maybe the backchannel. Or maybe something else. But you should definitely use it. Google Plus and Facebook are ok, but none of them have the simplicity and openness of Twitter.
- Webinar platform (synchronous communications) A MOOC can be amplified if you can talk to each other in a synchronous manner. People gathering at the same time in the same virtual space can be very powerful. Your institution may already have some platform like BigBlueButton, GoToWebinar or Blackboard Collaborate but in some ways Google Hangouts on Air are the best. Free, easily accessible and an easy way to share recordings on YouTube.
The skills of the successful MOOCer
We should not overlook the skills, you or your students will need to develop to make all of the above work. You don't need to start with anything more than being able to browse the web, send an email using a webform or maybe buy something on Amazon. But you'll want more. Some of these are very small but they will make things a lot easier.
- Understanding URLs: This is probably the biggest obstacle I see most people fail at when they try to take the next step on the web. You need to know what a URL does, what are its components, how to copy, where to paste and how to change it to get a different result. Basically, all people on a MOOC should be able to get this Navigator badge.
- Twitter skills: Twitter is simple. But there's good and bad ways of using it. You need to learn to follow the right people, @mentions, two kinds of retweets, short URLs, and above all HASHTAGs! Does take long to suss it all out but suss it out you must.
- Blogging skills: At the core, blogging is no differnt than submitting a form or sending an email via webmail. But how about inserting a link, a picture or attaching a file. All of these are easy but if you're new, they're something to learn (which means get wrong a few times and get frustrated by). Knowing how to use the Heading styles can also make the difference to a lot of people.
- Sharing and embedding: If you have a blog and get what a feed is, you should understand what it means to embed something and how to do it. This could be scary at first because you get to copy a blob of incomprehensible code and are asked to paste it somewhere else. But it's within the reach of all with a bit of encouragement and instruction. It's also worth exploring what some of the other options found under the Share button are all about.
- Collaborative creation skills: Depending on what the course does, being able to edit a wiki, can be a useful skill. It doesn't require much but may be more natural to some than others. But there are other ways to collaborate, all of which can be useful to explore (see below for some tools).
- Understanding feeds: You don't have to be able to roll your RSS feed by hand (or even know what on earth I'm talking about here). But your participants should know that all the services they use publish feeds that can be subscribed to in various ways (Google Reader should be on your list of tools).
- Signing up for an account: If you sign up for account on every new service that pops up (like I do), you don't even think twice about it. But for people who may not do this sort of thing more than once or twice a year, it can be a frustrating experience. All services are a bit different but knowing how thing like usernames, passwords, recovery emails, settings, etc. work makes it all a lot smoother. Not sure what can be taught here but acknowledging that this is a skill to be refined and thought about is probably a useful first step. Also knowing about some of the tools for managing account information (see below) would be useful.
- Single sign on: What's with all these "Login with Twitter" or "Facebook"? Once you have the accounts, it's useful to be able to use that facility. Just knowing it's there and what it does should be enough for a start. Your advanced users may want to learn about the idea of 'oauth'.
- General computer productivity: This is not a MOOC skill but being able to use the computer productively and in a way that makes the most of its accessibility features can remove a lot of the frustration. The Computer Productivity and Accessibility Cue Cards are there to help.
MOOC+ the tools for your next MOOC
- Badges: I hope that one day all MOOCs will issue open badges (following the Mozzila Open Badge Infrastructure) to participants. And I hope traditional institutions will follow suit. New tools are coming out that will help with that. For now, http://openeducation.us provides a model.
- RSS integrator: There are different ways to collect all the RSS feeds that you and your participants are producing. gRSShopper will be for you, if you have a server and some basic sysadmin skills (or know somebody who does). But some people just use GoogleDocs and something like Storify, to put it all together. At the very least, you should learn how to use a private RSS reader like Google Reader. You may also want to geek out with something like Ifttt or even Yahoo Pipes.
- Collaborative content creation: Working togeter on a document can be a powerful (if confusing) experience. EtherPad is a fun little tool for workign on a document together. But GoogleDocs are just as good and offer some nice features like commenting. They are also a bit more stable (in my experience). The one advantage of EtherPad is that it will colorize all the contributions at once and has a nice timeline replay function so that you can see how the document was put together. But, of course, an old-style wiki or even Wikipedia itself, could be the tools that are right for you. I am also partial to BookType for producing books you'll want in a distributable formats (like PDF of ePub). For the ultimate geek and open source advocate, there is GitHub.
- Multimedia tools: Let's be honest. We're talking YouTube here. Really the best place to share videos (although many alternatives exist). There are also tools that help produce fun animations to be shared like Xtranormal or Animoto. Some screencasting tools like Jing would also be helpful on some courses. And there are audio only services that may be important for some: SoundCloud, Audioboo, iPadio, TokTok, VoiceThread.
- Social bookmarking: The heyday of social bookmarking services like Delicious is gone. But they are still there and maybe the just the right tool for your course. Reddit is one but there are also things like Pinterest, Storify or Scoopit that add extra pizzas to the whole process.
- The cool tools: All of these tools are cool. But if you go to https://t.co/fpG4sE3r, you'll find many more. New tools pop up and disappear every day. If you want to stay on top, follow the #edtech hashtag and read some tech blogs like Lifehacker, MakeUseOf or TechCrunch.
- Password management: If you're serious about MOOCing away, you'll accumulate so many accounts so quickly, you will have soon lose track. I use LastPass to help me keep track of all the accounts on all the machines. It's a secure browser plugin that makes it all painless and effortless. KeePass is another free solution.
Is that it?This started life as a blogpost with three bullets:
- WordPress blog
- Webinars
And it really is that simple. But when you break down anything simple, you end up with many component parts you may not even have been aware of.
I'm sure I left out much that others will feel is important. But you know what? That's what the comments are for. Have away!
The MOOC and I (some background by way of a postscript)
MOOC and I were a love at first sight. In fact, I've been proto-MOOCing it for over a decade when I started putting up all my teaching materials on http://Bohemica.com and had a platform developed that would allow teachers and students interact. I've since moved on but the experience made me want more. I got on the Creative Commons and Open Source bandwagon (using and releasing) and when MOOCs started popping up, I was there, too (not right at the beginning but before the explosion).
Ever since I saw a MOOC I wanted to do one. The problem with the connectivist MOOCs (see here for typology) is that they are all very self-referential, focusing on connectivism itself or some MOOC related aspect of education (digital storytelling, open education, etc.). So I didn't really see myself fitting into that (interested, as I am, in educational theory). The Udacity/Coursera type MOOCs (or xMOOCs) that really made the name popular also showed me that you don't have to run a MOOC about MOOC like things only. Thus this post and #ITR12. Hope to see some of you threre.


text:
Eighteen thousand two hundred fifty. That's how many days you'd have been married if you celebrated your 50th wedding anniversary.
Tuesday, July 27, 2010
Eighteen thousand two hundred fifty. That's how many days you'd have been married if you celebrated your 50th wedding anniversary.
71 comments:
I am hoping both my parents stay healthy to enjoy their 50th in 6 years! Their marriage, while not idyllic is definitely built for the long haul. I'll be thrilled that my dad will have made it through some pretty daunting odds. I sure hope they're looking forward to it, too!ReplyDelete
oh, and how you made my day,ReplyDelete
just lucky to be on here now and carry this with me.
this hope and faith.
beautiful story Joanna.
What a wonderful story!ReplyDelete
That is a wonderful story! And the moral to it is just as good.ReplyDelete
I was just thinking about how much I still have fun and love my husband. We are nowhere near 50, but hopefully, we'll get there!ReplyDelete
You said this very well. People should not get so focused on counting a number off. Time is a strange thing that can seem to hold still when someone has a hold on you.ReplyDelete
It's really what goes on in those minutes rather than the number of them.
The expression "Time of our lives" doesn't describe any set duration.
Very nice post, a loving tribute to your friends and a reminder to all of us to live in the moment and cherish what we have. What a great beginning for your friends to find love and to get married with the odds against their having much time together. Ha. They made their own history. I truly love stories like theirs, thanks for the special post.ReplyDelete
that is wonderful!!! I can only hope,...ReplyDelete
I loved this post, it is so uplifting and gives every married couple hope and help for a better future.......:-) HugsReplyDelete
what a beautiful story...i love hearing how people came together and to hear how long they have been together is inspiring...ReplyDelete
- AnonymousJuly 27, 2010 at 3:49 PM
now, that is obviously an example of love at first sight! how romantic and wonderful that their time together has lasted way longer than they ever expected.ReplyDelete
What a lovely tribute to your friends.ReplyDelete
I so enjoyed reading that post. :)
When Stew and I married, many people, including his parents.. were totally against it. I was a divorcee with 4 children, and we had just had our own first baby.ReplyDelete
It is now 23 years later, and another 3 kids added to our brood!
We are blissfully happy with each other, and the 'doubters' have had to eat their words.
I loved the story of your couple... how gorgeous are they!
Thanks for the timely reminder to live and enjoy every day, and every special person in one's life.
{{{HUGS}}}... and that includes you, you are one of my special friends too.
Now that's what I call LOVE! She gave up a large wedding, planned and ready to go and he looked beyond his prognosis. That's a happy ending story for sure.ReplyDelete
I hope that you and Beloved have a million more days together.
That is a beautiful love story. My parents just celebrated 50 years in March. It was something to see as their friends and family gathered to wish these two people who don't really like to be the center of attention a happy anniversary.ReplyDelete
Oh Joanna, that was the most beautiful story. It just brought a tear to my eye. My hubby and I try not to take any of our days for granted, he is 20 years older than I and we've been together 27 years, I don't know what the future holds, but 50 years is probably not in it for us either. Thank you for sharing that!!ReplyDelete
"Two lovers entwined pass me by/ and heaven knows I'm miserable now"ReplyDelete
I think people like that only do it to annoy me.
Beautiful story! DH and I were married when he was 21 and I as 19. God willing, someday that will be us celebrating our 50th!ReplyDelete
Several things in the last few weeks have brought the advice of this post to the forefront for me. Thank you for your wise words that will help me to remember to never take a single day or a single loved one for granted.ReplyDelete
What a great post! :-)ReplyDelete
What an inspiring couple. I'm so impressed she followed her heart and did what she did. I can't imagine how hard that was to call off a wedding like that.ReplyDelete
Our Sunday Paper has been doing interviews with couples that have been married 40 plus years and I have really enjoyed reading their stories and how they met.
One couple had been married 60 years. He said he just lets her do whatever she wants and he goes and watches Gunsmoke. So cute. It cracked me up.
♥ Joy
Very wonderful post and testament to two people working through huge challenges and the marriage enduring for 50 years and counting. Congratulations to them!! I feel like that "template" for a successful married life such as they enjoy no longer exists in these days.... sigh..... xoxoxoReplyDelete
What a lovely story!ReplyDelete
I, too, will never see 50 years of marriage. John and are both now on the back end of 50 and, if we ever got married, we'd be lucky to have 20 years.
I did manage 8411 days of marriage.(I'm counting my marriage as being over the day I found out about HER, even though we lived together as man and wife for another 50 days... I bet she doesn't know about THAT). I guess that's good in this day and age, although I was really striving for 18,250 days and counting.
happy, happy dayReplyDelete
fifty long years together
a marriage complete
- AnonymousJuly 27, 2010 at 9:47 PM
What a wonderful love story. Isn't life odd? Given the circumstances (her imminent marriage, his extremely poor health) and their chance meeting 50+ years ago, it's clear that they were always *meant* to be together. I wish them health an happiness for many years to come. xReplyDelete
- AnonymousJuly 27, 2010 at 10:58 PM
What a wonderful story - such courage on the part of a young woman; and determination to live on the part of a young man.ReplyDelete
My own parents hit their 50th anniversary a couple of years ago...
We plan on celebrating my parents 50th anniversary this year. It´s really a big milestone and deserves a celebration. Although there have been many hard times they have endured and I´m proud of them.ReplyDelete
I loved reading this about your friends. They really set an example for us to follow. Great post!
Joanna, that was such a beautiful and loving post for your friends. It touched me deeply. You are a wonderful writer and I enjoy reading anything of yours but this, especially, touched my heart. I am going to forward it to my newlyweds. I pray that they will have fifty years of this kind of love and happiness.ReplyDelete
I'll be at half that number of days next year! I certainly plan, the good Lord willing, to make it to my 50th.ReplyDelete
This story was so beautiful.
I just celebrated 36 years with my best friend. I must admit that I don't remember to live in the moment but I am getting better at it. And not to sweat the small stuff!!ReplyDelete
Cheers to your friends who have loved and lived the 50 years together!!
I remember going to my maternal grandparents 50th when I was a kid. When they passed away (exactly 1 year to the day from each other), I think they'd been together 64 years (maybe more, can't remember).ReplyDelete
My dad's parents... sadly, Poppy died 3 months before their 50th.
I feel fortunate in this day and age of disposable marriages, to have made it to 22 years (next month). I just hope we live long enough to reach for 50.
Sweet post!!
What a lovely story. Wouldn't it be wonderful if more marriages lasted as long. I do believe that the key is not to take your spouse for granted, but it is difficult. When you know time is short, it brings that moment to moment living into sharp focus. The trick is to find that focus despite the everyday routine lives that most of us live. Technically we don't know what fate holds and no one is guaranteed a certain number of days, so none of us should take anyone for granted, yet as the days pass on, and we come to believe tomorrow is a given, we begin to lose that living in the moment focus. Being married for 18 years, does not guarantee me another 18, and I hope I treat my husband like I know that. With any luck, in another 32 years, we too, will be celebrating a 50th wedding anniversary.ReplyDelete
What a truly inspiring story, and you've written it so beautifully. Destiny certainly had in hand in their lives.ReplyDelete
Happy 50th anniversary to your friends!
What a true love story that's lasted 50+. We all just need to live in the moment and cherish what we have.ReplyDelete
God bless ya and have a wonderful Wednesday sweetie!!!
Life can change on a dime and that scares me so much!!!!! This year I will have been married 40 years. So hard to believe!!! I too need to live in the moment!! Maybe I should get me a plaque to remind me!!ReplyDelete
Very inspiring!ReplyDelete
My parents hit the 50-year mark last May.
I'll be 98 if my wife and I make our 50th. She'll be 92. We'll likely have white cake with white icing to celebrate -- it's both our favorite.
You always come up with the best stories to share with us. I hope one day you can make a swing by OUR way when you are headed for an Ohio visit. I think I could spend hours in your company just listening to your family tales. You usually manage to tug at a heart string or "resurface" a couple of things that I haven't thougt about in ages.ReplyDelete
- AnonymousJuly 28, 2010 at 5:58 PM
How beautiful! I always think longevity of marriages ought to be celebrated more than weddings. GETTING married is easy. STAYING married, now that is special.ReplyDelete
Love this story - love the way you tell it, JJ!ReplyDelete
Awe, that was beautiful. Remember it's quality over quantity. And you have that by the sounds of it. Your friends relationship was fate clearly, lovely love story.ReplyDelete
What an amazing story! Seems like you have your priorities worked out pretty well, too. However much time you and your beloved spend together, sounds like it's going to be a quality, happy time. (smile)ReplyDelete
Beautiful, gorgeous post :)ReplyDelete
Happy Thursday!
K xx
This was a beautiful story. It's always inspiring to read about people who have been together for so long and lived happily.ReplyDelete
Have a nice day...:)
sigh,you and i both.ReplyDelete
we didn't marry till 35, we'll be 85 if we live for our 50th...
maybe, could happen.
very sweet. i hope you can show them this post somehow.
Love this post .. tomorrow, July 30, ToonMan and I will celebrate 11,680 days, at least 11,670 have been perfect and the other 10 werent all that bad; we're too old to reach 18,250 together and I dont want to think about any number of days without him... so living in the moment is excellent advice! Thanks for the reminder, Joanna!ReplyDelete
my in-laws were married 67 1/2 years when she died. Amazing to think about.ReplyDelete
I'm on the south side of middle age too....and lately it's given me pause for thought. I know our husbands are both older than we are. Lately, I don't like the odds of mine going first.
TOMORROW IS THE DAY...ReplyDelete
I am shipping the mats. They are all boxed and taped and they will be on their way.
I am so thankful for your patience and kindness, and all those awesome words you've shared about Steph.
Much love, Cam
He hon...I loved that..how beautiful is that!! Funny how things work..when you really follow your heart and soul...it all follows the right direction in the end. Congrats to them..and to you hon and your DH...it's not the number but the quality that counts!ReplyDelete
Hugs and love, Sarah
What a beautiful story!ReplyDelete
What a very lovely tribute both to your friends' marriage and to your own. I love that refer to your husband as "Beloved." Wishing you many, many happy "moments" together.ReplyDelete
Sweet, sweet story. Thanks for sharing it with us!ReplyDelete
Truly a moving story. You're right, it's not so easy to live in the moment all the time but it really is important to have some of those moments. Thanks for sharing this.ReplyDelete
what a fantastic love story....and how smart she was to trust her gut and call off her original wedding plans...ReplyDelete
my parents just celebrated 50 years, too and the hubster and i have our 26th this year.....lots of hours and days and years together...
anybody today, in love....is so incredibly lucky :)
What an incredible story! OMG, I had tears in my eyes. This was beautiful. Thank you for sharing their story and yes, it is a lesson to live in the moment. I need to remember that too. It's hard to do sometimes. They sound like a blessing!ReplyDelete
What a fabulous love story! I love to see and hear about marriages that have beaten the odds.ReplyDelete
You are right, it is not always easy to live in the moment, but as I get older, that is what I try to do. I may not always succeed, but at least I am trying.
I wish you and your Beloved many more years together filled with love and joy.
~ Tracy
What a beautiful story and wonderful tribute to your friends. Wise advice, this living in the moment.ReplyDelete
We will be celebrating our 42nd anniversary this coming Feb. We beat all odds I believe. Knew each other 6 months to the day and he just turned 19 and I was 17. Life has blessed us with 3 children and 7 grandchildren.ReplyDelete
Sad to hear you say that you can never reach your 50th. That kinda makes me think about my own mortality!ReplyDelete
Wow that was powerful. I hadn't ever figured out how many days that was, and I can only hope to be happy iwth my husband after half that! The thought gave me goosebumps. I'm with you on living in the moment - and on needing to work on it!ReplyDelete
My mother died recently, just one week shy of my parents' 60th Wedding Anniversary. Instead of mourning her loss, we celebrated their anniversary with my dad at the beach. Blessings to you and Beloved on your years together... may there be many more!ReplyDelete
A tremendous and inspirational story and post! Congrats on your POTW!!ReplyDelete
50 years is utterly inspiring and such a beautiful journey for a couple :)ReplyDelete
Beautiful story. Sure would like to win this giveaway!ReplyDelete
Best wishes.
This post blew me away, so beautiful. I do not how I missed it the first time around. What a lovely romantic and sensitive recollection of love and what love means. How a connection is created in the most unusual ways and in the most unexpected moments and how true love can last 50 years and beyond...ReplyDelete
Congratulation on your POTW nomination, so well deserved.;))
Hi Joanna - Great post and congratulations on the potw.ReplyDelete
My wife and I have a slight chance of making it to 50. I'd be in my 80s... the family average isn't good on that.
We used to teach pre-Cana with a group of wonderful couples. One of them used to introduce themselves saying: We've been married for twenty wonderful years... we'll be celebrating our 40th anniversary next year.
It's wonderful what faith in love can do! A toast to "living in the moment" is never amiss. Lovely post.ReplyDelete
Wow, what an incredible story. Thanks for sharing that.ReplyDelete
Beautiful post! If I got married right this second, I may live to see my 50th anniversary. But I'd probably have to give up beer and ice cream, so what kind of quality of life would that be?ReplyDelete
- AnonymousAugust 7, 2010 at 10:55 AM
Blooming heck! Over 18 thousand...we've done 52 years and it seems longer than that...only joking.ReplyDelete
Congrats on POTW
Great story Joanna.ReplyDelete
My wife and I celebrate our 38th anniversary in March so we have a long way to go to 50. I think she deserves a medal (and so does she LOL).
Congratulations on POTW at Hilary's. You know me, always the last to find out LOL.
What a beautiful post!!ReplyDelete


text:
I AM thankful for having Ichthyosis.
The incredible Stephanie (supermum - she's just given birth to her second baby!) has put together a list of reasons she's thankful for having Ichthyosis. I contributed too, so did Mui and Hunter. I can relate to what they're grateful for too.
We don't celebrate Thanksgiving here in Australia, but it's a tradition that I wish we'd adopt. Showing gratitude and spending time with those you love is so important. And that food - amazing. Pumpkin everything! Also, I can watch the Thanksgiving episode of Felicity over and over.
Happy Thanksgiving!
To people without Ichthyosis, it might seem strange that we're thankful for having this often painful, visibly different and socially challenging condition. But there ARE reasons to be thankful. Many reasons. I'm not resentful. Inspired by Steph, here's my Thanksgiving list.
I am thankful for having Ichthyosis as it's given me perspective. Physical beauty is not the most important thing in life. A cold is not something to complain over.
I am thankful for having Ichthyosis as it's given me a reason to write and speak about my story and the importance of celebrating appearance diversity. I've written for publications I dreamed of since before studying journalism. And I've spoken for some noteworthy organisations. I've won awards (and declined one).
I am thankful for having Ichthyosis as it has allowed me to see the funny side of looking different and having a chronic illness. Here's my interview on 612 ABC Brisbane about visible differences. I talked about difficult situations but I could laugh at them with the interviewer. The other contributors and callers were so interesting and relatable. This is why we need the ABC.
I am thankful for having Ichthyosis as it means I don't have to worry about being 'normal'. What's normal anyway? A setting on the dryer. I'm happy with non conformity. (Also, read this post on A Mighty Girl for a great story about the expectation of normal.)
I am thankful for having Ichthyosis because it forces me to talk to others, to engage with strangers, and has given me confidence. While it can be tiring, it's no secret that Ichthyosis is a conversation starter.
I am thankful for having Ichthyosis as it's blessed me with an amazing community - and I feel so lucky to have these friends in my life. My friendships have gone from online to real life - and it was a delight to meet so many people with ichthyosis on my recent trip overseas.
I am thankful for having Ichthyosis as it's given me wrinkle free skin. I am almost 33 but still look 23!
I am thankful for having Ichthyosis because it has given me empathy. I am always amazed when I meet someone with a disability or chronic illness or even from another diverse dommunity and I can relate to their life.
I am grateful for having Ichthyosis because the people around me are amazing. My parents are the best I could ever wish for and my fiancé is the most beautiful man.
They've had to learn, to adjust and to cope. They're protective, compassionate and put up with all my hot and colds and itches and confetti skin.
I am thankful for having ichthyosis because it's made me resilient. I bounce forward. I'm positive.
What are you thankful for?
For more quirky things about my Ichthyosis, see the things I haven't (or now have) told you about my Ichthyosis.


text:
What follows is as much a thank you letter to Guerrilla Games as it is a review.
Thank you for the extremely high levels of production value present at all times in Killzone 2. The attention to detail and the tender love and care given to every single facet of the presentation and gameplay has been something I've longed for in a cinematic First-Person Shooter experience since the very first time I played shooter games many years ago as a child.
Thank you for the volumetric effects; you spoil us PS3 owners with such wondrous visual fidelity and you give this game an overwhelmingly organic feel that is greatly appreciated. Never before has a game caused me to fear for my life only because I just plain can't see what is in front of me. The step up to volumetric effects was a wise step indeed, and the 3D smoke really thickens the atmosphere beyond anything you've played before. The smoke doesn't feel "rendered", it most assuredly feels real because it lingers and completely cuts off your visibility, just like it would in real life. This allows for some very dramatic close encounters with Helghast soldiers; you'll be wildly flailing your knife in the air with the hopes of hitting someone because you're afraid of where they might pop out from.
Thank you for the lighting, Guerrilla. The subtle shift in colors and other more dramatic atmosphere changes between areas are really and truly a treat for the eyes. Your game is lit like a beautiful work of art, and it shows…everywhere; a lone dynamic light above a wooden walkway revealing deep browns and reds of dried blood and paint, or a cold industrial feel of greenish-gray being emitted from light bulbs in a tiled stone-and-steel building. Muzzle flashes cast eerie shadows on these dark and terribly beautiful environs, creating a sense of occupation or presence. The occasional dead soldier is on the ground with dried brownish blood all around him; a single bulb illuminates this, seemingly with the goal to bring the grisly scene to your attention. It's another reminder that war is hell, and sometimes men are indeed left behind.
You've given us an above-average single player campaign with great soldier-acting (hey, soldiers aren't Oscar winners, so you won't see me complaining about hokey one-liners or tired cliches) and monstrous set pieces befitting of a Michael Bay action film. With such a wide variety of landscapes to traverse, there is never a bored moment, and it never really does feel scripted because of the great AI you've implanted into the minds of the Helghast. It's always a challenge no matter what way we approach a situation, and I thank you for that. The enemy react very well, trying to flank me and flush me out, and work together to overwhelm me and create a sense of desperation and panic.
What sounds grace my ears in glorious full surround but the sounds of war, howling wind, screams of fallen foes and the thunderous booming of distanced artillery; in another instance…the low humming of industrial equipment, radio chatter of Helghast patrols, the mighty crashing of lightning as it streaks across the sky, lighting up your proximity with a flash of electrical intensity so bright that it makes you go "wow…".
The aural quality and presence of Killzone 2 is evidently heard in every action you perform, be it reloading your weapon, firing said weapon, slashing your trusty knife, the crunch of the soil underfoot or the tapping of your boots on cold and hard pavement, the distinct sound of a rusty old Helghast assault rifle being reloaded from behind cover 10 yards away…regardless whether it's voice, sound effect, music (an orchestral style which hearkens back to Michael Giacchino's Medal of Honor days), or environmental audio, all of it was created and put to use in such a top-notch way that there is no ignoring the fact that you surely are jacks-of-all-trades, Guerrilla Games.
Building on your already popular multiplayer from your first effort, Killzone, your new system of ranks and upgrades is one sure to be cherished by any modern FPS fan. Any long-time player of the genre now expects there to be not just quality of actual gameplay, but depth as well. Killzone 2's multiplayer component (replete with bots that function very well, mind you) is poised to put great numbers up on the board, and I believe it will be chock full of active clans and eager players. There are eight (!) beautifully rendered maps and several modes available (ranging from deathmatch to capture the flag types, and others) and all of these modes are playable within one map load (which eliminated going back to the lobby), and this clearly shows your intention, Guerrilla, of keeping the players together throughout their multiplayer experiences. I'm positive you will be thanked for that.
One final statement remains to be said. Your latest game is the very definition of redemption, Guerrilla. You have taken any issues you had with the first Killzone and totally turned them around, in fact making them your strengths. That is the perfect example of a fantastic developer, one that learns from past experience, applies knowledge gained and strives to listen to the community and their fans and give them what they want. Thanks for such an atmospheric, enjoyable, memorable, visceral, frantic and just plain fun shooter, Guerrilla Games. You and Killzone 2 really deserve any and all praise.
PlayStation LifeStyle's Final Score
Intense multiplayer that frequently changes.
Production quality sets a new bar for all games, not just consoles games.


text:
Croatian Cultural Council, on its Croatian Weekly portal has published an article written by dr Slobodan Lang in relation to the Croatia Vs Serbia genocide lawsuit and case currently being heard in the International Court of Justice at The Hague.
I have translated that article into English and bring it to you with the hope that it will increase your understanding of and knowledge about what Croatia had to endure during the Serb aggression of 1990's. This is important for the whole of the humanity, for the world simply needs to cease saying "Never again (genocide)" while real threats of new genocide loom before us – it must punish the states whose policy was to employ genocide in order to take over territory of another sovereign state. Ina Vukic, Prof. (Zgb) B.A., M.A.Ps. (Syd)
By dr Slobodan Lang,
Hrvatski Tjednik (Croatian Weekly), 10 March 2014
In its defence from Serb aggression Croatia has achieved a greater success in the prevention of genocide than anyone else in history. Genocide is the gravest of crimes among people. Its intentions are to kill, or at least deport a certain population from a territory in which it has jointly lived be it through aggression or conquest. The Convention on the prevention and punishment of genocide was passed in the night before the Universal Declaration of Human rights was adopted.
However, that was after the Holocaust had already happened. The entire humanitarian activity in WWII was weak and the new rules for the future were brought about on the basis of the experience of failure rather than success. The problem of genocide was avoided for many years, usually with the words "Never again". It was the 1990's wars of Serb aggression that prompted the world to confront itself with crimes against humanity and genocide. Again because of punishment, and not prevention.
The world has not solved the question of genocide: intent, prevention, stopping, judgment and punishment. The truth about genocide is the question and responsibility of the world. It is necessary to punish that which is done, but the most important thing is to contribute to the prevention of future genocide, anywhere in the world, using the new knowledge and experiences. For this reason, the primary task of the trial of Croatia's lawsuit against Serbia for genocide, which commenced at the beginning of March, is to contribute to a better future world, and not just convict the evil that has already occurred.
It is difficult for me to write this text, but I must and I want to pass onto you the ideas and the experiences I carry with me. In order to achieve something one needs to have ideas, one needs to mobilise a group to join in and, to personal danger or risk, one needs to organize and implement an action, for which one hopes will be accepted by the people, and the desired results will be achieved.
Only through such jointly utilised ideas, actions, courage, influence and change in the way of life results are achieved in any sphere: humanitarian, economic, political … and so too in the sphere of prevention of genocide.
It's difficult for me to write because I carry the painful inheritance of the Holocaust in my own family.
I have turned it into the post-holocaust with the aim to turn the Jewish suffering from hatred, persecution, camps, theft, ignorance and killing into the future strengthening of the prevention from such crimes for any nations. It's difficult because I do not feel the awareness of the whole depth and the whole suffering of the people in today's leadership of Croatia. I do not know that they had participated as war veterans, or even in the civilian actions in the defence of Croatia.
I listen to them as they attempt to explain the suffering, genocide, and so the Holocaust at well, as the suffering of some other people from the past who don't concern us and for whom too much money or emotion shouldn't be spent. I do not feel the presence of a soul in the Croatian leadership.
Likewise, I think that today's Serbia and Serbs have not at all confronted themselves with their responsibility and are attempting to escape into a concept of equal guilt, into the forgetfulness of the past and into the well known phrase "who, on earth, pushed us into a feud" ('tko nas, bre, zavadi'). I feel an inadequate wish and will from the Serbian leadership, intelligence, Church, and consequently in their people to stop being a nation of hate and inequality and to start being a nation of tolerance and good. Such conditions make it most difficult for the International community and court to come to the truth and bring about a just ruling.
Nevertheless, the truth that in its defense from Serbia's aggression, Yugoslav People's Army and the rebel Serbs, Croatia had successfully prevented, stopped and warned about the danger of genocide, is very important. Croatia is responsible towards the whole world and towards its own people, its future and towards all the suffering victims as well as all war veterans to demonstrate and show to the ICJ court in The Hague why and how it defended itself and why and how it prevented the crimes of genocide while defending itself from the aggression that had as its aim the conquering of parts of Croatia by use of excessive military destructive force and by causing the Croats to flee their homes (in order to save their bare lives) through perpetration of the worst imaginable crimes (murder, rape, torture, incarceration in concentration camps).
This is the first time that a world court considers a lawsuit of one state accusing another for having perpetrated an aggression with the aim of taking away the conquered territory through the perpetration of crimes against the nationally undesirable population, using hatred, destruction, ethnic persecution – in short, genocide. The International court in The Hague had in the genocide case of Bosnia and Herzegovina Vs Serbia avoided to deliver a clear decision on guilt in its judgment, but it had in an unambiguous manner condemned Serbia for not preventing the genocide in Srebrenica.
Sparked by this decision, I wrote an open letter (3 November 2012) to the president of Serbia asking him to seek the release of Croatian Generals Gotovina and Markac from the Hague, to state how the Operation Storm prevented genocide in Bihac and, as a state condemned for not having prevented genocide to call for a world summit on the prevention of genocide. But he did not reply to my letter. Does he understand at all that my letter was an offering of the hand of the future to him, to Serbia and to Serbs?
In the modern times, the idea of hatred, inequality and violence was set in motion in 1986 by only 15 SANU Academics (Serbian Academy of Sciences and Arts). They wrote the following in their Memorandum: "The achievement of equality and independent development for the Serbian people have a deeper historical sense. For less than fifty years, in two consecutive generations, twice exposed to physical destruction, forced assimilation, religion change, cultural genocide, ideological indoctrination, devaluation and denial of own tradition under the imposed complex of guilt, intellectually and politically disarmed, the Serbian people have been exposed to most difficult of temptations, which have surely left traces in the spiritual state, which, at the end of this century of great technological advances in human intellect, should not be ignored. If the Serbian people count on its future in the family of cultured and civilised people of the world they must receive the opportunity to once again find themselves and become a historical subject, to renew their conscience of their historical and spiritual being ..."
Slobodan Milosevic became their entrepreneur. He firstly maimed Serbia and the Serbian people by turning them into a nation of hate. Just as Hitler did against the Jews, he started with initiating hatred and actions against Albanians within Serbia. After that he went forth with the aggression and rebellion in Croatia and Bosnia and Herzegovina. The attacks always followed the same pattern: excessive military artillery shelling against all buildings regardless of what they were, which resulted in enormous destruction and numerous civil casualties.
Many survivors fled and found shelter in the surrounding areas. After conquering the areas, armed soldiers, volunteers from Serbia and the local Serbs looted, burned the houses, chased people away, killed and raped. Therefore, cleansing had been implemented. Unlike this pattern, Croatia's defence had from its first day emphasised antifascism and rejected crimes and hatred.
The Serb aggression was based upon the attitude that hatred and genocide are worthwhile, that they are the path to the realisation of Greater Serbia. The people were to follow and accept such a leader and leadership. The Croatian defence leaned upon the good and upon tolerance as the path toward realising the freedom of Croatia and Croats. The people decided for responsibility of freedom at the referendum. The whole nation had linked itself into one so that it could defend the Homeland and the homes.
The civilian initiatives (Wall of Love, Convoy Libertas, emigrants …) were in 1991 the greatest force in the Croatian defence. The mere defence of Vukovar was, in fact, an attempt to prevent that which was to happen after the conquest: killing of patients, rape of women, torture, looting, taking to the concentration camps, persecution, only because they are Croats. There were more and more veterans every day. And so it was all until the victorious Operation Storm with which the Croatian army had prevented genocide in Bihac, in August of 1995.
I do not know how Croatia will present itself at the court in The Hague, I do not know how the politicians will trade among themselves either in secret or publicly nor do I know what the final court verdict will be. But I do know that the Serbian aggression was made up of the plan to conquer by employing hatred and crimes all the way to the full genocide. I know that the Croatian defence, despite all the sufferings, had prevented this in Croatia. The Homeland war, therefore, contains more experience in the prevention of genocide than any other war in the world. Judge Theodor Meron, with his origins, his experience and knowledge had recognised this, made a judgment and freed Gotovina and Markac.
How much of this do the Croatian political leadership and defence understand? When you read this you will know one more thing that is of worldly importance: how our Croatia was created and defended. Be justifiably proud of the past, but it needs to be passed onto the future of the world as well as into the success of today's Croatia.
About dr. Slobodan Lang. Born to Jewish family 8 October 1945 in Zagreb, Croatia. Physician, author, writer, politician and former personal adviser to the first Croatian President dr. Franjo Tudjman. His paternal grandfather Ignjat was the president of the Jewish community in Vinkovci (Croatia) and his grandmother Terezija was a housewife. In 1941 Catholic priest Hijacint Bošković, distinguished Dubrovnik and Croatian Dominican, was engaged in an extraordinary attempt to rescue the Langs from Nazi persecution. Bošković traveled from Dubrovnik to Vinkovci with a special permit that allowed him to relocate the Langs to Dubrovnik. Langs grandfather refused to leave, saying that he "was the president of Jews in peace and he will stay one in the war". Both of his grandparents were killed in the concentration camp during the Holocaust. He graduated at the University of Zagreb School of Medicine and is a specialist in social medicine. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Slobodan_Lang)


text:
Tuesday, September 9, 2008
The 13.000 km train trip starts at Vienna
If you're interested especially in things concerning North Korea, you can skip some of the parts and go directly to:
The start of our trip with the North Korean train (still inside Russia):
Approaching the border between Russia and North Korea (the last kilometers inside Russia):
Inside North Korea:
The trip started at about 10:45 at the urban station Wien-Traisengasse(3 minutes walk from my flat), from where I took a "S-Bahn" to the Südbahnhof (Southern station). This first trip took only about 10-15 minutes.
Wien Traisengasse:
At 11:28 the local train to Bratislava departed from the Südbahnhof. It also conveyed a direct Ukrainian sleeping car from Wien to Kyiv, but as I was going further to Moscow, the Russian sleeping car Kosice – Moscow was more suitable for me.
Wien Südbahnhof:
The trip to Bratislava took about 70 minutes. I met an old man travelling to Chop. He was told that this train goes direct to Chop, but appearently he was not told that only the sleeping car goes there. The conductor – not knowing where Chop is located – thought that he was in the wrong train, but I explained them that everything is OK and that just several changes of trains (in Bratislava, Kosice and Cierna nad Tisou) are necessary to reach Chop.
In Bratislava I had a 70-minutes layover. It is also possible to take a later train from Vienna to shorten the waiting time at Bratislava, but as I wanted to buy some cheap Slovakian train tickets for my friend in Moscow (tickets for domestic trips inside Russia can often be cheaper in Slovakia than in Russia…) such a layover was OK.
The old man wanted to upgrade to the sleeping car, but the Ukrainian conductors told him, that there were no free places.
As he was not seeing well and was a little bit confused, I helped him (when chanhig trains) on the further trip to reach Chop. He was glad about that and later he said that withouth my help he wouldn't have reached Chop.
From Bratislava my onward express train no. 609 to Kosice departed at 13:47. Train 609 consisted of about 10 Slovakian cars and the Ukrainian sleeping car. Some of the cars were already modernized with air-condition, but in my compartment-car the air-condition didn't work so I (and the old man from Vienna) moved to a open-cabin-car with. BTW, the 83-year-old man told me, that he was born in Western Ukraine and had moved to Austria already 35 years ago. This was his first trip back to his homeland.
En-route to Kosice:
In Kosice the train arrived 5 minutes late at 19:55. The connecting local train to Cierna nad Tisou departed at 20:07. We changed to that train, to which also the Ukrainian sleeping car was attached. I boarded the Russian sleeping car to Moskva and also the old man bought an inofficial upgrade for this sleeping car to avoid a further change of trains at Cierna nad Tisou.
At Kosice:
I had booked a place in a "Double"-compartment, as the 3-bed-configuration on Russian international sleeping cars is too narrow for longer trips like this. "Double" requires a 1st class ticket for the Ukrainian and Russian part, but instead of one 1st class ticket, I had a 2nd class Citystarticket for 2 persons, which after some explanation was also accpeted by the conductor. The other place in my compartment was not booked and I stayed the whole time alone till Moscow.
The sleeping car was a modernized RIC-WLABm of RZD. It was air-conditioned and there was a small refrigerator in each compartment (below the seat). Some windows on the corridor-side could be opened to take photos.
Inside the compartment:
Arrival at Cierna was at 21:56 and there the 2 sleeping cars are attached to another local train, which goes just over the border to Chop.
Shunting at Cierna nad Tisou:
The Slovakian border checks took place at a new checkpoint almost at the border (built with EU money), whereas the Ukranian border checks took place during the stop at the station Chop. Formalities at this boder are fast, easy and not worth mentioning compared to what we experienced on other border crossings during this trip. I sayed goodbye to the old man, who left the train here.
Slovakian border checkpoint:
At Chop also the boogie exchanging procedure is done. It is done for the 2 sleeping cars coming from Slovakia as well as for some other sleeping cars of the "Tisza-Express" coming from Budapest. After that procedure all the sleeping cars from Wien, Kosice, Budapest, Beograd, Zagreb are rearranged and attached to a "domestic" train from Uzhgorod to Moskva. Departure from Chop was at 3:32 (East European time, one hour ahead of Central European time).
Regauging at Chop:
(due to darkness not much can be seen, but nerds might like the typical sounds during the regauging procedure...)
Train trip across Ukraine via Lviv – Ternopil – Hmelnizki – Vinniza – Kyiv. I already used this line several times (the last time was only 3 weeks ago), so it was already a little bit boring – the same procedure as every time…
BTW, train 15/16 ("Tisza") uses the Shmerinka avoiding curve. In Lviv and Kyiv sleeping cars were detached.
At Lviv:
15 minutes stop at Grechani:
At Hmelnizkij:
Near Shmerinka:
Arriving at Kyiv:
In the evening the Ukrainian border checks took place at Konotop, still more than 100 km from the actual border to Russia.
From Konotop the train ran non-stop to Brjansk, already more than 100 km inside Russia, where finally the Russian border checks take place at the uncivilizised time of 4 a.m. (Moscow time, one hour ahead of East European time). Apart from the horrible time, the border checks also here were no problem.
After some more sleep I finally arrived at Moscow at about 10 a.m. at the Kievskaya station. My friend Alexander was waiting for me and we drove to his flat to have some breakfast together.
Arriving at Moskva Kievskaya:
Eurasia 2005: ~35.000 km by train from Europe via Ukraine, Russia and Mongolia to China and back to Europe via Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan:
Total solar eclipse 2008: Trip to the total solar eclipse in the Altay mountains (1st august 2008), including a 6-day trekking trip:
24 comments:
- me said...
those sensors are probably RF readers that they put on trains and boxcars for tracking purposes. The USA freight system uses them as well.
tracks direction also as each boxcar will have a tag on each end.
- April 5, 2009 at 2:01 PM
- Mirna Altan said...
Hello! My name is Mirna. I'm from Rosario, Argentina. My English is not very good, sorry. First, I congratulate you for the trip has been wonderful! I tell you that I am a professor of geography and your travel journal and photos by the siberia used with my students, so thanks! Here in Argentina, we had one of the rail networks importartes most of South America, but now dismantled almost all of this by the privatizations. But you can not hear el tren de las nubes (salta) and Trochita in Ushuaia, the world's ferrocarril more austral
- April 9, 2009 at 6:38 AM
- Unknown said...
It's wonderful for me to start to see your trip. I'm Thai woman 47..wanted to travel by train but it's so complicated for me..i'm planning to go to Myanmar soon..now i see your blog,that made me no more afraid anything..
thanks for your blog..surly i will see all your writing even if i'm not good in english
- May 23, 2009 at 10:44 PM
- WaG! said...
Just started reading your very interesting travel blog... Just had to comment on the detector gates. They are detectors for radioactive materials. See the gates here:
And more about the company TSA Systems here:
- June 3, 2009 at 8:59 AM
Your travel could have ended other way than you had planned. Congratulations on having seen NK and a fantastic story, however, you put yourself at risk. I am pretty baffled how much effort do you guys put in getting to another part of the world by train. Did you already get contacted by someone of the American Embassy staff? Are you following the counter-surveillance measures in order to stop being followed by the North Korean agents in Europe? They already know everything about you, you even put online your SBahn station in Vienna online. In North Korea, you could have got kidnapped, forced to spying, accused of spying, gone through staged trial then been killed in North Korea, you could have been put in a concentration camp in the remotest and the most secret part of the world. The North Korean beaches that you have seen have been used by NK agents and very rogue spy operations when Japanese nationals have been kidnapped from mainland Japan in '70s-'80s and then smuggled into NK by sea, probably by submarine ships. I hope that you now enjoy the memories of your travel but I also hope that none of your guides or official NK travel agency members have been put to death in a concentration camp because you have chosen to enter the country through a non-official channel. They for sure are quite decent people and they have families. Also, mentioning how you have hidden the photos in your laptop, pretty not so wise step to read it by the whole world online.
There is also a bit deeper feeling to know what did you want to know or accomplish by simply riding the train for some three weeks. If you have wanted to simply "be" there, then all is fine but there was hardly any sightseeing going on, you scarcely spoke to anyone beside train compartment, you have never visited a rural house in Russia (in NK the secret police would arrive in minutes if you happen to do so), all what we see are the photos of a nature, the countryside, sad, grey colours of former Communist infrastructure in Russia and even more greedier and blackest in the NK.
I must congratulate you on achieving such a trip but sometimes life is simply too precious to take such risks. You will probably be denied entry if you would ever want to visit NK again. How do you think you help people living under such horrendous regime? Isn't better to offer your help and money to the associations of defectors from NK, to the charities who deal with all sort of NK problems, even to some carefully chosen charities who help people in some most abandoned and impoverished regions of the world.
Hope this comment will get through your moderation. There is not really a reason not to publish it, is it?
- April 4, 2010 at 4:20 PM
- Helmut said...
First of all, I know that our trip was a risky experiment and in some way egoistic. However, if you have a difficult aim, you just must not think so much about the risks involved and about failing. A mountain climber also must not think about what might happen if he makes a wrong step and falls down. He has to concentrate his thoughts on how he can achieve his aim, otherwise he has already lost before starting. Adventures don't happen if you're too afraid.
The aim of the trip was to make a quite usual North Korea tourist trip combined with an unusual way to get there. The train route from Russia to North Korea via Tumangan was one of the most mysterious and least documented international train routes and we wanted to end this vacuum of knowledge by using this route personally and publishing the story on the internet. The intention wasn't politically, it came mostly from a railfan's point of view.
And the aim was not to do sightseeing in Russia, a country which we already knew well from a couple of trips before.
I don't care whether anybody else understands our motivation, but these are the facts.
Second, no I've not been contacted by anyone of any embassy (neither the US embassy, nor the North Korean embassy…). We broke the rules for tourists in North Korea (but it was not totally illegal, we had a visa with Tumangan listed as possible entry point) and escaped from North Korean control for quite a while during the train trip, but I don't want to overrate the relevance of the trip for intelligence services.
The impressions of the country were not so different compared to the other officially available line for tourists (from Pyongyang to the Chinese border), it was just a much longer trip and we didn't uncover any military secrets or something similar. And I don't see why our guides should have any problems after all.
Regarding your point about spending money for a trip like this vs. supporting charities – what do you want? A world where travelling is forbidden and where it is decided what people do with their money? I hope you don't want that. I'm glad to have the freedom to travel and I think that travelling can and should be ecologically and socially sustainable and that it can be a way for better understanding between different cultures.
I respect other cultures and prefer unusual destinations about which many people have prejudices (I mean also places like Romania or Russia, about which many people here in Western Europe have a complete wrong or non-existent perception).
I also try to avoid planes as my personal contribution to reduce CO2-emissions and I think that spending money locally at restaurants, hostels and so on can be seen as a contribution to keep jobs there.
However, I admit that the money spent in North Korea didn't help any ordinary North Korean citizen – but yes, nobody is perfect and in this case my curiosity to see exotic countries was bigger than the intention not to support a dictatorship.
And, BTW, I regularly donate to human right organizations.
- April 8, 2010 at 12:08 PM
Thank you for letting it in, my last comment. I had no goal to blame you or intimidate you because of what you have done or rather the way you have done it. I hope you will read my comment once more, so there will be a deeper understanding, some kind of revelation maybe....I have a feeling that you did not understand me in full.
What you have said in your answer, it sticks up for your own purpose as I had pretty thought of before even writing my first comment. The idea that I am against the world travel and visiting places that normally require a visit scheduled and tailored by the most closed and remotest nation is wrong. Everybody is free to go and use its own money wherever its wish desires, some of them end up being caught, hurt, killed or missing then end up being rescued by any means by the forces of almighty democratic countries so the media may breed on it for weeks like in that story about two female American journalists stepping on a border of a frozen Tumen river in order to get a feel of country you just wrote about but.... this is the way the risk or rather an idea for it fulfills and drives our lives. It is such a horrendous misunderstanding in comparing mountain climbing where the personal goal and efforts and a combat with human body and its mental forces are ultimate to a rail travel through a country under the most cruel regime that usually puts its own citizens to death for staged reasons. And I am really sure saying that you had no real knowing what kind of regime you have let yourself visiting so I cannot let myself to expect you would understand my point of view.
You should visit www.chrisguillebeau.com, a blog by one guy whose a simple goal is to visit every country in the world. He has now some 65 countries left and he yet has to visit Afghanistan, a country or rather a parody of it that he probably will not put his feet in. He scarcely stays more than one day in a place, he is in constant travel, earning airline miles and eating them like a burger, driven by the giant marketing strategy and his 1.000.000 miles status. But do not get me wrong! No real comparison with you and no my will to blame anyone. It is just interesting to know what people's real motivation are.
- April 9, 2010 at 6:44 PM
- Ashtree said...
Hi, Helmut ans Oliver!
Really an amazing trip! I admire your brave.
I'm a Bulgarian,. born in Moscow, now living in Sofia. Since my childhood I traveled a lot both by train and by plane between Moscow and Sofia and back, but nothing can be compared as experience to travelling by SZD/RZD train! It is not only a traveling, you get a lot of social contacts, you meet different people, drink vodka with them in kupe and talk about life.... I also traveled a lot by train around the firmer USSR - Russia, Ukraine, Latvia, Estonia, Armenia, Georgia, Azerbaijan... I know every sleeper and joint on famous Moscow-St.Petersbourg line...There I had the chance to ride ER-200 in 1988. Living in Moscow I also often traveled to Warsaw in PKP WLAm 's. One of my childhood dreams was to become a loco engineer and drive the huge 4TE10, or to become a provodnik on Rossiya train... I didn't become a professional railwayman, now I'm a translator, but I have the wonderful chance to work for railwaymen on an important project for BDZ - the modernization of our old TE109 (BDZ Series 07, DB Series BR-232, "Ludmila"), performed jointly by Russian and German specialists.
Korean "kupejnyj" resembles an old Ammendorf Wagonbau, used on RZD (SZD then) in 70-s. As i see the name plate, it is made in NK. Is that true, or they had just modernized (otkaveerili) the old RZD Ammendorf?
Best regards
- May 31, 2010 at 5:18 PM
- Renato Favero said...
What a crazy journey!! But I was traveling along with you. Is this kihg of thing that gives the "spice" our lives. Congratulations.
- September 4, 2010 at 9:56 AM
Hi...I think the detectors on Slovakian-Ukainian borders are searching for cigaretts, witch are used to be hidden in trains, especially cargo cards...smuggling of tobbaco and alcohol from Ukraine, where are these product far more cheaper than in EU is very serious problem on slovakian Eastern border as far that smugglers are usually connected with ukrainian (and in the past also with slovakian) border authorities and railway personnal
- September 28, 2010 at 11:59 PM
Great story. Thanks for sharing.
- October 29, 2010 at 12:44 PM
- Martin Lipocky said...
Hello! If I'd known of you two years ago, I'd have asked you for taking me to your company. Your trip is highly exciting! I'm from Bratislava and can speak German as well, and can remember some speaking from mandatory Russian language from school. :)
Unlike you, I like traveling to the Alps. While you were preparing to travel across Siberia, I returned from Interlaken and Badgastein, arranged by myself without travel agencies. But the trans-siberian railway attracts me as well and will travel there once! ;-)
- November 14, 2010 at 2:10 PM
- Dmitrii said...
I don't know what these detectors for but similar ones are located in the Eastern side of Khasan station. Seen them while walking around the station.
- July 7, 2011 at 1:01 PM
A fantastic blog my friend. I really enjoyed reading about your adventures to Pyongyang! I wish you many more safe journeys!!
- April 21, 2012 at 5:12 AM
My name is Laszlo VONDRACSEK and I am from Romania (Bucharest). I whish to thank you very much for this wonderful reportage about your trip in North-Korea (via Russia), carried out by train.It was so real, my self I made effectively a "vitual" trip Vien-Bratislava-Moscow ....untill Pyongyang. Congratulation for your professionalism !
- July 9, 2012 at 1:52 PM
Bizarrely, you can find the route you took on the german rail website bahn.de. Just use the normal search and enter Moskau, Pjöng Yang, and pick a date which is the 25th of the month, and it will show you the route. Expand it, then click on the train number '652EI' and it will show you all the stops on the route from Usiriisk to Pjöng Yang (including Khasan and Tumagang). Unsurprisingly, the 'book' button is not active.
- July 18, 2012 at 2:01 AM
- Tomo1976 said...
Great blog, great trips and great photos! :)
- December 16, 2012 at 9:29 AM
I think the sensors are x-ray scanners which have been build to search for smuggled goods in cargo. German police uses them as well to search for cigarettes from Poland.
- March 7, 2013 at 4:05 PM
Absolutely great blog, danke schön
- April 12, 2013 at 5:57 AM
Hello I must admit, that I really just envy your experience with this trip of yours. I am dreaming of to repeat this trip the same way as you have done it. I had been looking at the website of the Russian Railways, and as I just found out, it seems to be possible to book a ticket straight to Pyongyang via Tumangang ( from Moscow of course ). Just the train number is differs of the Rossia express you have had used before. It had offered me a trip by a train number 100, going maybe more around the Baikal Sea, via Ulan-Ude. I do not remember exactly, if you had went the same way. Do you think it would be possible to take this way and have you got any advices for me? Thx. for the answer. I would like to buy a standard trip to the DPRK of course by the North Korean agency.
- May 22, 2015 at 2:36 PM
- Helmut said...
Hi Col Ca,
thanks for your comment. Regarding the direct train service to Pyongyang: Yes, meanwhile the North Korean sleeping car is attached to another train inside Russia (train no 100 instead of train no 2), but the route is still the same as it used to be in 2008.
Recently some tourist groups were allowed to enter/leave North Korea via the boder at Tumangang, but taking the ordinary train between Tumangan and Pyongyang is still not considered an appropriate way for tourists to get to/from Pyongyang.
Travel agencies will probably try to prevent you from takiung this route, if they know about your plans in advance. So you can only take the risk as we did and try to take the train via Tumangang to Pyongyang without announcing your plan in advance. I cannot guarantee that this will work again...
Or you can also join a tour which includes the Rason area and combine it with the train trip Moscow - Tumangang. This seems possible, but transport between Rason and the rest of the DPRK seems to be only by chartered bus or plane. At http://www.koreakonsult.com/gruppresor%202015_eng.html you can find such tours.
If you have any furter questions, you can contact me via e-mail to email@example.com
- May 30, 2015 at 4:58 PM
- manhuel said...
Muy interesante, me encanta esta página web, y me encanta Rusia. Very interesting!
- March 4, 2017 at 12:53 AM
This is an interesting blog. It sounds like such a trip could be risky these days.
- April 16, 2017 at 11:24 AM
This is an interesting blog. It seems such a trip could be risky these days.
- April 16, 2017 at 11:27 AM


text: hello, trying to get a fileserver up and running although when i do "yum install quota" it doesn't seem to install. do i need to install the quota package? if so where? i thought i installed the quota package by going to applications->add/remove software it even says that the i386 package is installed. any help would be appreciated thank you. note my errors below when i try to run quotacheck -avugm and quotaon -avug. i am in super user mode too. Brian [kyd@localhost ~]$ su Password: [root@localhost kyd]# yum install quota Loading "installonlyn" plugin Setting up Install Process Setting up repositories core [1/3] extras [2/3] updates [3/3] Reading repository metadata in from local files Parsing package install arguments Nothing to do [root@localhost kyd]# touch /aquota.user /aquota.group [root@localhost kyd]# chmod 600 /aquota.* [root@localhost kyd]# mount -o remount / [root@localhost kyd]# quotacheck -avugm bash: quotacheck: command not found [root@localhost kyd]# quotaon -avug bash: quotaon: command not found [root@localhost kyd]#


text:
The page you requested could not be found. Try refining your search, or use the navigation above to locate the post.
Did you know… that the EFJ is the Fund Administrator for the Special Climate Change Adaptation Fund (SCCAF)?
The EFJ signed an agreement to administer the funds on July 28, 2016. Over a four year period US$4.7 million will be used to provide grant funding to finance community based and sector driven adaptation initiatives island-wide. The SCCAF will provide grants that can be accessed by community based organizations, other civil society groups and selected public sector agencies, for clearly defined high priority activities, particularly related to building the resilience of the natural environment and contributing to livelihoods protection and poverty reduction The Government of Jamaica (GOJ), the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) and the World Bank developed Jamaica's Pilot Programme for Climate Resilience (PPCR) to help the country to strengthen its climate resilience through enhancing adaptive capacity across priority sectors. Jamaica's PPCR has 5 projects being implemented to address varying areas of vulnerability (www.ppcrja.org.jm). As of March 2018 eighty four (84) projects have received grant awards totaling J$382.16 million.
Did you know…
The Jamaica Protected Areas Trust (JPAT) was established out of discussions between the Governments of the United States and Jamaica, the Nature Conservancy and NGOs about the inadequate support for protected areas. As a result, JPAT was established and a Debt Swap was negotiated between the Governments of the United States and Jamaica, facilitated by The Nature Conservancy. JPAT administered the Forest Conservation Fund that was put in place through this Debt Swap Agreement. The Jamaica Protected Areas Trust Limited (JPAT) is a public-private initiative that seeks to protect and enhance Jamaica's natural resources and biodiversity. Registered in 2004, JPAT supports the effective management of the country's protected areas by:
The EFJ and JPAT/FCF has merged operations.
Declared extinct in 1940, the Jamaican Iguana (Cyclura collei) was rediscovered in 1990 and remains on the Critically Endangered Species List. With funding from the EFJ more than 130 iguanas have been successfully released into the wild.
Jamaica Forest Reserve
What are the types of grants?
The FCA makes provision for two types of grants:
What activities are eligible for funding?
Grants must be used within the Priority Sites to –
Protected Areas
Protected areas in Jamaica include parks, national parks, forest reserves, and forest management areas and fish sanctuaries. Examples of some of Jamaica's protected areas are the Negril and Montego Bay Marine Parks, Palisadoes/Port Royal Protected Area, Mason River Protected Area, Portland Bight Protected Area, and the Blue and John Crow Mountain National Park.
Wetland and Watershed Management
We have funded the restoration of watersheds and wetlands across Jamaica. These community-based projects are leading to reforestation of watersheds and restoration of mangroves in areas like support community sensitization in monitoring and protection activities as these sensitive habitats are vital to biodiversity and flood control.
EFJ funds research and applied projects aimed at conserving and protecting Jamaica's extensive biodiversity. From fish santuaries and tours to interpretive centres and signs. There have also been strong links with the University of the West Indies and others that have led to support for the Jamaica Iguana and the documentation of various native species.
Encouraging Child and Natural Environment Interface
Many of the initiatives supported by the EFJ encourage Jamaica's children to respect and protect our natural environment. Two such examples are the very successful Schools for Environment Programme (SEP) and the Building Application for Nature in Children at Risk (BANCAR) projects.
Facilitating the creation of support groups
We support the establishment of sustainable initiatives that support persons in need. The Roving Caregivers Programme, for example, is a parenting support project in which out-of-work youth are trained to conduct home visits to educate parents on ways to care and effectively engage their young children. The very successful programme started in rural Jamaica and has now spread to six (6) Caribbean countries.
Marine and Coastal Research
EFJ supports the sustainable management of Jamaica's coastal and marine resources. In addition to supporting fishing communities and Marine Protected Areas we have funded research into Jamaican mangroves and marine species. This research has added to the body of knowledge on issues such as the value of mangroves, coral health and the impact of hurricanes.