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Archives: January 2005

Blink ;)

Posted on January 2, 2005
in Living in Israel

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Best downloads of 2004

I guess I too have a list of best downloads.

I only reflect on Apple-downloads, since I don't have another computer.
But after first installing NetNewsWire and Ecto, I have to say I will purchase versions of them, since they are regularly up-dated with the best new features.
My last update of NNW has actually PodCasting, meaning that from now on I don't need Ipodder anymore, which was a fuzz to open it.
NNW is not the best download of 2004 for me.

That is Skype... THE solution for calling my friends abroad. Easy installed

Ecto follows after NNW, since it allows me to easily update my blogs. Only the interface is somehow not so nice.
The icons are ugly and the windows are too small. When there would be an update for this, I guess it is perfect.

BitTorrent is somehow still vague and has to be perfect-ionized, I believe it will become a possible candidate for best download of 2005, since podcast are great, but actually very bandwidth-consuming. BitTorrent is p2p and for that reason a solution.

Firefox could have been one of my favs, but in the release of version 1, I am a little bit dissapointed of the amount of bugs included. Several times Firefox freezes and only a restart can help.
But I have to admit: the fact that it remembers login names and the easy way of browsing and disallowing popup, in combination with a fast speed + better reading of html, makes it my preferred browser.

My favorite freeware is iZoom, easy and perfect for fast resizing of images.

Posted on January 2, 2005
in Technical stuff

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Quote

A person’s life, after all, in its simplest terms is nothing more than moments strung together from the second of birth to that final instant when the last breath is drawn. If those moments, all so fleeting, should be preserved, they become memories to be cherished; the more memories, the more important the life.

Out of 'One Hour Photo'

Posted on January 2, 2005
in Quoted

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Tsunami finally shakes Belgium

Tomorrow in several parts of Europe at 12AM, there will be 3 minutes of silence for all the victims of the Tsunami Disaster.

Meanwhile, referring to a former post, Belgium did wake up and started to donate in large numbers. Today more than 3 million Euro was donated to 1212.be.
Next to that, a bunch of Flemish singers announced a special song, and 2 television networks -usually competitors- are going to have a benefit-night on television.

Am I mistaken or is this Tsunami making links between people?

Posted on January 4, 2005
in Living in Belgium

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America catches up.

Story.Presidents.Ap
I agree with several other blogs, that we, Europe, always blame USA for the things they do. Or they are too white, or they do too black. It is never just ok.

Anyhow, except for that, I think their reaction to the Tsunami was 'funny'.
-Belgium also woke up late...-
But giving first 15 million dollars was a kind of 'big mistake', I believe.
And yep, already after few hours they raised the amount. Up till 350 million dollars, after one day.
I guess they had to:

The United States has pledged $350 million in tsunami aid, the largest single contribution by a government after Japan's $500 million.

Japan giving 500 million, compared to the first 15 million dollars, was a bit strange...
Anyway, thumbs up for the initiative of Clinton and Senior. Hope they raise a lot of money.
Then hope it arrives well, and then hope afterwards they don't claim refunding for it -because in this world nothing is for free...-

Posted on January 4, 2005
in Living in Belgium

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The world calling

The world became a smaller place in 2 years...
Not only 'the far and unknown' is not far and not unknown anymore, since my travelling.
Technology did catch up with the distance.
One click on the button and I hear another person, on the other side of the world for 'no money'.
-I guess that last remark is very important. Not having to deal with high phone bills makes a world of difference.-
That 'no-money-thing' also is a kind of liberalization of those services normally preserved for the rich.

Internet is something we see in rich communities, but during my staying in Kosovo, Syria and Palestine it was there.
Although in the low speed version, it was absolute popular. And people use it to chat mainly. To exchange each others worlds. (PhotoBlog is a good example of that.)

The fact of internet and digital images changed the world. No longer are we dependent on pictures from 'professionals'.
The pictures we see these days are from amateurs.
The world is flooded these days with amateur-images of the tsunami, even enlarging the impact, because suddenly the reality is within reach. -Few professionals were working on the moment of the disaster and took shots like some tourists did.-

The world became a small place.
For the better or the worse.
But in case of the recent events, we see it can have a positive impact.
Since people connect more easily.

News is changing, and our ways of communication as well.

How do you connect?

Posted on January 4, 2005
in Living in Belgium

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US tsunami relief = 42.27 hours' worth of Iraq-war spend

"Curious as to how much $350 million in promised US aid for tsunami victims equals in expenditures on the war in Iraq? I did the math so you don't have to. $350 million equals 42.27 hours of the cost of the war in Iraq. (And yes, the decimal point is in the right place.)"

Link

(Thanks, Frank!)

Well, let's not talk about our gifts then...
Belgium is slowly changing their television programs into 'aid to the people' ventures. -After VRT and VTM, now also on TMF and JimTV-
And there are more initiatives and account number to pay to then Famous Belgians.
Is this going too far?

I hope there won't be a discussion on 'if or if not to use the money for other people in need'.
In my opinion 1212 should use the money for the places they need.
Why would anybody in Asia be faster 'served' then in Africa?
Anyhow, let's hope that this 'money-injection' out of solidarity enables the aid organizations to do more this year.

Posted on January 5, 2005
in Linking context

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Israeli treatment in airport...

Today I was asked to check for cheap flights to Israel, since I might end up there quickly.

For a moment I considered checking El Al, but only the thought of it makes it worth to pay 100 euro more.
-Many others get a normal treatment, but by now, I realized I am on their list and it will stay that way...-
Reading this letter made me decide for sure: anything but El Al.

So it is not only me, who gets this treatment ;)

Posted on January 5, 2005
in Living in Israel

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And meanwhile, in Israel...

So with all what is happening in Asia, we dare to forget that on Sunday the Palestinians are electing a new leader.
But what is happening behind the scenes?
Shortly said, Abbas will win according to the latest statistics.
Meanwhile Sharon want to go through with his plan to leave Gaza, and he seeks new partners that want to help him, while many right winged people/settlers are against it. In Gaza it is not longer only Palestinians throwing rocks at Israeli soldiers. Settlers are joining in for opposite reasons.

It will take a long road to get there, but first, let's cross fingers for the Palestinian elections.

Posted on January 5, 2005
in Living in Israel

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Divorcing in Israel

At this very moment I am watching an Israeli documentary by Anat Zuria on 'divorcing in Israel'.
-Recently Flemish Television is giving many Israeli documentaries-
Tamar told me her story, and she should tell it to many others.
In Israel, in the Jewish belief, men and women can divorce -unlike the christian marriage that is for life- and yet.
Divorcing in Israel can be hell. Israel is a country where religion and state are linked -The Jewish State- and thus the marriage has to be undone by religious people, even when you are married without being religious.
Going further, in Israel one can only get married in a religious way, and if you want to get married without this procedure, you have to go abroad to get married. When you did this, still a divorce has to be done by the Rabbi.

The main problem is that the divorce is mainly entitled to the man, even if he is the one that did the awful things.
The man has to give permission to divorce.
He has to give a letter to the woman, stating that he divorces her.
If he doesn't want, it just doesn't happen.
Divorcing as a Kafkaesque struggle...

Posted on January 6, 2005
in Living in Israel

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Meanwhile in Iraq...

Also in Iraq, elections are on the way.
If they actually will succeed in making them happen is another case.
Today the police chief of Sadr City was killed.

Sadr City used to be Saddam City. And unlike the name lets you suspect, it are the slobs of Bagdad.
Back in 2002, when I was in Iraq -and that was still under Saddam, I once visited it.

First some background:

The district is one of the poorest in Baghdad. Unemployment is rampant. Homes are in disrepair. The population consists mostly of Shiite Moslems.
Piles of trash and long pools of raw sewage line the boulevards, while battered looking men stand on corners with shovels waiting in the hot sun for work.

Living deep in every alley are the families of martyrs from the eight-year Iran-Iraq war, from riots against Saddam Hussein and from executions on the gallows of Iraq's prisons.

Every billboard, painting and poster advertises them - from shaikhs, Ayat Allah clerics and religious students killed by the former regime, to Ali and Hussein, the 7th-century father and son - cousin and grandson of the Messenger Muhammad - who inspired the Shia sect of Islam.

Back to my story.
When, back then, we wanted to visit Saddam City, our 'guides' -read intelligence guards- even abandoned us.
They insisted in saying we were not allowed.
Then we sneaked out.
The fact turned out, it was not dangerous in a military sense, the danger was within the people.
We walked into the district and very soon, many people appeared out of their small houses. Smiling, laughing, talking. But soon the crowd was growing into a larger amount, and people started touching us. Until the moment, I looked at another journalist, and said 'Go, it is the moment.' Before us, behind and even above us, there was a bunch of people. Luckily we managed to get back in a nice way, walking faster and faster.
Just in time we got into the car, on which people started to jump and kick. The driver just started driving, almost killed somebody, but we got out of the district.
Now, some years later, I realize out of what we were rescued.
If only we would have hesitated a little longer, people would be able to attack us.
Out of what? Despair?
Seeing several 'tourists' with many dollars in their pockets, allowing them to eat for several weeks?

The explanation why this district became one of the nests of the Iraqi terrorist cells, is not hard to find. In Sadr City people have nothing to loose.

Posted on January 6, 2005
in Linking context

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Tragedies in Khoa Lak

This boy about 2 years, from Khoa Lak is missing his parents. Nobody knows what country he comes from. If anyboy known him please contact us by phone 076-249400-4 ext. 1336, 1339 or e- mail : info@phuket-inter-hospital.co.th

Posted on January 6, 2005
in Linking context

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Bittorrent changing media

"You could think of BitTorrent as Napster redux - another rumble in the endless copyright wars. But BitTorrent is something deeper and more subtle. It's a technology that is changing the landscape of broadcast media.

"All hell's about to break loose," says Brad Burnham, a venture capitalist with Union Square Ventures in Manhattan, which studies the impact of new technology on traditional media. BitTorrent does not require the wires or airwaves that the cable and network giants have spent billions constructing and buying. And it pounds the final nail into the coffin of must-see, appointment television. BitTorrent transforms the Internet into the world's largest TiVo.

One example of how the world has already changed: Gary Lerhaupt, a graduate student in computer science at Stanford, became fascinated with Outfoxed, the documentary critical of Fox News, and thought more people should see it. So he convinced the film's producer to let him put a chunk of it on his Web site for free, as a 500-Mbyte torrent. Within two months, nearly 1,500 people downloaded it. That's almost 750 gigs of traffic, a heck of a wallop. But to get the ball rolling, Lerhaupt's site needed to serve up only 5 gigs. After that, the peers took over and hosted it themselves. His bill for that bandwidth? $4. There are drinks at Starbucks that cost more. "It's amazing - I'm a movie distributor," he says. "If I had my own content, I'd be a TV station."

I talked about this tool in a former post, and seems I am not the only one seeing the possibilities of BitTorrent.
At this moment BitTorrent is still something vague and not very user-friendly.
But this will change surely this year, when more and more of the prices of hosting are focussed on traffic and less on storage.
BitTorrent uses the p2p system, making sure that you don't need any traffic anymore.
Great solution to this problem.
For video distribution, it will become an easy solution.

Posted on January 6, 2005
in Technical stuff

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Flying to the sun?

Marketing Tcm26-1186
Sn Airlines -my favorite airline- is dropping prices on January 7th.

More than 20 destinations in Europe will drop prices up till 40%.
Condition: book one month in advance and online.
Yep, taking a flight was never that easy. And that cheap. :)

So were are we heading for next week?

(Just in time to book my flight in March :))))

Posted on January 6, 2005
in Linking context

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Apple will/won't

Some more days to go and we'll know.

Apple will or will not release its iPhone -announced by Motorola-, Apple will/will not release its headless iMac, Apple will/will not release its Flash Based iPod, Apple will/will not release an update of AirTunes, Apple will/will not release...

Why is it so important to us, Apple users?
Because of its fancy design? Because of its easy use -sorry Sony Ericsson but while your design is splendid, usability is 4/10 on your products, 1 times in 2 I hit the wrong button, and then it takes me 10 clicks to get back to the original menu-
It's seamless connectivity?

Oh yes I agree, they make mistakes -take for example the one button mouse. Common guys, you invented the mouse, but MS did the right thing of adding the right mouse click...-

I guess the tension reaches heights because they are always 'before'...
You can bet on what they release or integrate will become standards.
Take for example WiFi, or FireWire...
When others still supported the serial ports, these were already standards in Mac.
Or take the revolution of the iPod, or the 12 inch portable -after everybody wanted bigger-
Or the Airtunes.

Every release shows a little bit of the future.
When (or rather if?) the headless iMac will be introduced, we indeed get the sign that we are getting even more in the future.
Where the media room will have a computer connected to your 'television', and 'radio'.
When the headless iMac gets introduced, I will doubt indeed.
For 500 euro I'll have an extra computer that can become my wireless backup -through my Airtunes-. That can be my savior in need. It will become the place that runs my music, and streams my video on big time screen -Airtunes + Apple Screen 30 inch-.
It will be my local spot, while all my other stuff is designed to be nomad.
And most of all, it will not be a huge ugly grey plastic case, no it will be a beauty that can stand next to your beautiful screen.

Yep, they have an idea, and yep, they state it.
Stubborn, but very future-wise.

Posted on January 7, 2005
in Apple

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Quote

Only when you really really eager to fly, you'll find a pair of wings.

Moko.

Posted on January 7, 2005
in Quoted

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The iHome?

iHome 3 iHome 5
Rumors are there to be fed...
But this is likely to be the headless iMac.
And as I forecasted, we are talking about a MediaCentre.
Yep, I am definitely waiting before buying my HD. First want to know how much GB are stored in this machine and if it can be enlarged.

A memory.

From the good old days ;)

Click to see the movie. (and yep, you'll need Quicktime to see it)

Posted on January 9, 2005
in Living in Israel

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Ellen Degeneres Video Casts

Great show on line.
Ellen Degenres -yep I am sure you know her- is giving daily video monologues.
I LOVE it.
Humor on demand.

Thanks Steve.

Posted on January 9, 2005
in Projects - Podcasting

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Testtest...

Another old time memory to test videoblogging on this blog. Seems working right?

Btw: click to see the movie, and Quicktime needed.

Movie: taken in Tel Aviv, Bezalel. And yes, it hurted...

Posted on January 9, 2005
in Living in Israel

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Elections in Palestinian Authority

The elections in the Palestinian Authority went smoothly. But what happened in the disputed Jerusalem Area?

From a contact in Israel:
There seemed to have been two elections in Palestine on Sunday: the one conducted in the West Bank and Gaza, and the one in Jerusalem.

Voting day in the West Bank and Gaza was marked in many places by a mood of ebullience and celebration. There was singing, dancing, the firing of guns into the air, families strolling together to the polling stations.
Palestinian women’s organizations had spent weeks encouraging women to vote, and many women did show up for their first election, especially in urban centers.
While not all checkpoints were eased and not all Palestinians wanted to vote under an occupation regime, the overall climate was one of hope and a new beginning.

Voting day in Jerusalem, on the other hand, was marked by a flawed process.
The Israeli government could not prevent Jerusalem’s Palestinian residents from participating in the elections, but it wanted to avoid the appearance of Jerusalem being part of the Palestinian Authority. Therefore, the authorities designed a voting system that was a pearl of Talmudical caginess, allowing for the vote, but giving it the appearance of an absentee ballot being cast in Jerusalem for sending to a Palestinian state that was “somewhere else”.
Therefore, voting was carried out only in post offices, where marked ballots were handed to postal clerks who inserted them into special mailboxes, presumably to be “mailed” to Palestine.
Special attention was given to the location of the slot.
The Israeli authorities felt strongly that a slot on the top of the box would give the appearance of a real ballot box. Therefore, these mailboxes had slots on the side.
Here’s a photo (left) I took of a man at one of these red mail-ballot-boxes, behind a glass pane and inaccessible to the voter.
Note also the lack of privacy, with the clerk looking on as he leans on the counter marking his ballot, and the next voter edging closer.
Worst of all, only 6,000 Jerusalemites out of 125,000 were allowed to vote in town, with the rest dispatched to voting stations out of town, to which access through checkpoints was eased, but still not easy.

Under these conditions, many Palestinians in Jerusalem refused to vote.
And many were afraid to vote, in fear that Israel would regard that as grounds for canceling their Jerusalem residency rights. It’s no wonder that a Palestinian woman carrying a bunch of bananas stood outside the main post office on the Palestinian side of Jerusalem, handing out flyers that called Israel a “banana republic democracy”.
I too wanted to see the excitement on the other side of town, so I answered the call of Bat Shalom, a women’s peace organization, to help keep the extremist Israeli right from carrying out their threat to disrupt the proceedings.

Despite the many difficulties and Israel’s grudging cooperation, the vote did take place, leaving many Palestinians and even Israelis with a sense of elation. A real election was held – with real competition and no mud slinging – and the candidate who consistently called for an end to the violence and negotiation of a real peace was swept into power with 62% of the vote. Now the proverbial ball is in Israel’s court, and the excuse for not negotiating is long dead and buried.

Posted on January 11, 2005
in Living in Israel

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New government in Israel

Not only in the Palestinian side the start of a possibly huge change took place.
In Israel, also an important thing happened:
a new Israeli government – comprising Likud, Labor, and United Torah Judaism, an ultra-Orthodox party – was sworn in, thanks to Sharon’s wily brinkmanship with the extremists from his own party who oppose the disengagement from Gaza. The government will now have the parliamentary strength it needs to get out of Gaza, and Shimon Peres is back in power, defying age, wisdom, and public incredulity.

This is an important step forward.
Not many people are aware of what is really happening in Israel.
The last years Israel was led by Likud, the right winged part of Sharon. Labour ended up in the opposition. This changed yesterday, the part that was responsible for the Oslo-agreements, is back in the run. Sharon is still the Prime Minister, but he is stating a strategy getting Israel out of the settlements.
Something which is opposed by many people in his own party, which led to a very difficult political situation in Israel nowadays: the extreme right winged settlers stated that Sharon should be eliminated.
As written in a former post, soldiers get into clashes with settlers instead of with Palestinians.
And the anti-evacuation settlers are digging their own graves. Once considered the last of the idealists, support for the settler movement has plummeted among Israelis in the wake of recurring violent clashes with Israeli soldiers evacuating settler outposts. Today, the settlers are regarded as the anti-democratic, lunatic fringe. In truth, the vast majority of settlers are far more moderate, and would leave the territories in a heartbeat for the price of their property, but the fanatics are now setting the tone and image.

The future will tell which road will be taken, but the realization of the road map is one step closer.

Posted on January 11, 2005
in Living in Israel

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Looks like christmas again...

Steve Jobs did Keynote today and NO live coverage...
Yet, several blogs reported live (Thanks Veerle)
Steve Jobs made my christmas....
Flash iPod AND MiniMac AND Motorola Phone.
Now start saving.

Everything on Apple.com (actually veryvery slow now, imagine how many people are following it)

Posted on January 11, 2005
in Technical stuff

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World moved

I am probably the last to mention, but the 'sea-quake' in South East Asia actually moved the world.

The "mean North pole" was shifted by about 2.5 centimeters (1 inch) in the direction of 145º East Longitude.
The length of day decreased by 2.68 microseconds.
The Earth's oblateness (flattening on the top and bulging at the equator) decreased by a small amount. It decreased about one part in 10 billion, continuing the trend of earthquakes making Earth less oblate.

The massive earthquake off the west coast of Indonesia on December 26, 2004, registered a magnitude of nine on the new "moment" scale (modified Richter scale) that indicates the size of earthquakes. It was the fourth largest earthquake in one hundred years and largest since the 1964 Prince William Sound, Alaska earthquake.

LaCie's Ethernet Disk mini

LaCie is hopping on the mini bandwagon with a new line of Ethernet Disk network hard drives aimed at small office and home office users.
The drives will be available in 250GB, 400GB and 500GB models (!) with the first two costing $299 and $499 respectively .
We want.
[Via PhotographyBLOG]

I want too.
A harddisk on my network, being able to access and store all my high res pics.
(while my second HD is disconnected as second network free back up)
Hmmm. Yes.
That MacMini will have to wait. (That iPod Shuffle will be mine though...)

Posted on January 11, 2005
in Technical stuff

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Maintenance

PhotoBlog is in maintenance. We'll be back soon.
Sorry for the inconvenience.

Posted on January 12, 2005
in Projects - PhotoBlog.net

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Ana got married!

Congrats!

-Brazil nor USA was a good place to get the rings on the right place, so they went to Canada.-

Her -little- wedding present is finally on the way...

Posted on January 12, 2005
in Friends around

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Reminder: expo in Minard

Expo on Sunday: in Minard. Check it here
in ccop with PhotoBlog.
See you there.

Posted on January 12, 2005
in Friends around, Projects - PhotoBlog.net

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Huygens begins its Titan descent

Yesterday CANVAS showed this amazing documentary (on the spaceship Cassopedia) which made me think over and over: what an amazing world we have. This little tiny planet in this huge space.
Today, the Huygens probe has started its historic journey towards the atmosphere of Saturn's moon Titan, hopefully revealing some of the mysteries of life.

As one of the interviewed scientists said: "What is the difference between me and a piece of stone. How come we exist out of the same substance and yet,, the stone is dead, and I am alive, I can think and wonder about this question. In which way the order of things is sorted different so we live and other materials don't."

Titan exists out of the same materials as Earth, yet the atmosphere and the temperatures are very different.
According to speculations there would be rivers and clouds, and mountains.
Yet the mountains would exist out of water, frozen so hard that it is like stone, and the rivers would exist out of methan, in a liquid form, the clouds would contain thick methan drips, falling slower due to a different in material, atmosphere and gravity.
Scientists are eager to know...

Flanders/Belgium gives.

Tonight the actions Tsunami 1212 gets a finish.

000-0000012-12 was the banknumber people could give money for the Tsunami victims.

What happened in Flanders must be the largest benefit action ever realized over here.
And we have to give credits to the right people: the Flemish ministry decided to set up the Flemish Info line -a special telephone service that is preserved for information and normally used for government issues-
All actions nationwide are being gathered.
The Minister -Geert Bourgeois- decided that VRT and VTM -Flemish national television and Flemish commercial television- should cooperate in a benefit night -which is actually tonight-
4 main radiostations -national, government and commercial- decided to do one day of general broadcasting, changing their names into Radio 1212.
The music played is bought by companies -for 250 euro/song-.
(This must be the best commercial thing ever done: for only 250 euro you get your companyname on 3 main radiostations in primetime, for the good purpose which means you can actually get a tax refund for it. A company should be crazy not to do so. Well choosen initiative)
The government decided to keep the info line open and work with volunteers.
Next to that they opened an sms action, in coop with the telcoms, allowing people to send 1 euro to the number. So students started to donate too. A huge success.

To the people that organized and made the ideas: you are the real marketeers of today.

More info on: 1212.be and tsunami1212.tv

I have to admit, we started slow, but I guess we are like a diesel: once started we don't stop.
This late benefit -in the Netherlands it finished already last week- willmake sure the amounts raised are higher than ever before.

For your joy: here's the song the Flemish artists are selling (click on song)

Posted on January 14, 2005
in Living in Belgium

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Sharon Cuts Israeli Ties With Palestinian Authority

The prime minister today ordered all officials to cut ties with the Palestinian Authority until it curbs terrorism.

Well, so far the trust in Abu Mazen...

Posted on January 15, 2005
in Living in Israel

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More than 38.000.000 Euro

That equals:

49,774,052.22 USD
216,753,549.80 ILS
26,612,195.33 GBP
or 1,532,916,200.00 Old Belgian Money.

This is what Flanders and Wallonia (let's call it Belgium...) gave for the victims of the Tsunami. (and this is only on 1212. Many people donated on Unicef and other organizations.)

Yep, it was a day to be proud to be Belgian.

Posted on January 15, 2005
in Living in Belgium

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The HangOut

Suspended spherical housing module. It's 2.9 meters in diameter and is made to be suspended from a tree. "There is a double bed, counter, table and bench seats as well as ample storage lockers. The spheres are wired for 110...

This could be my cocon. Really...

Through MoCo LoCo

Posted on January 15, 2005
in Linking context

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Houses for designbirds

Modern Birdhouses shows beautiful birdhouses, made by designers.
For birds that love design...

Posted on January 15, 2005
in Linking context

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Skeletons

Michael Paulus makes great art, like above.
Such a great idea to make draw the skeletons of little comic figures.
A should see.

Posted on January 15, 2005
in Linking context

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Remarkable note towards the Tsunami disaster

I got an email recently explaining how much effort Israel has put in offering help in the Tsunami Disaster.
Actually I already knew this information. Israel, like in many cases, does have the knowledge how to deal with big disasters. (Israel's years of war with neighboring countries and bombing attacks by Palestinian suicide attackers have honed its rescue and recovery services and it has sent military medical teams to other countries hit by disaster, among them Turkey, Macedonia and Rwanda)
After the first news of the sea quake, they sent many volunteers to the places in need.
But we all know the position towards jews/israeli today, especially in muslim countries.

What happened?
Read it here:

Israel has offered its hard-won expertise in handling disaster to Sri Lanka and India in the wake of Asia's tsunami tragedy but it has met with a lukewarm response.

Israel's army sent 82 tons of medical and humanitarian aid to Sri Lanka, and Israel's civilian rescue service, working with the Red Cross, dispatched a planeload of blood products. An additional 40 tons of supplies collected by private donors flew out Friday.

But an offer to deploy 150 seasoned military medics and support personnel to set up field hospitals was rejected, Israeli security officials said on condition of anonymity.

Neither Israel nor Sri Lanka made any official comment on the island nation's rejection of Israeli army medical teams. A military spokeswoman said only that after consultation with Israeli officials, there was a decision to scratch plans to send service personnel and to dispatch instead "appropriate" aid. She did not elaborate.

In moments of urgent need, and solidarity, and especially aid that was sent, before many other countries had sent aid workers or humanitarian aid, those countries just refused...

What to say?

Posted on January 15, 2005
in Limit of my knowledge

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Telephone silence.

The phone hasn't been working for almost a week now. We just got the line back today. For the last six days, I'd pick up the phone and hear... silence. Nothing. This vast nothingness would be followed by a few futile 'hellos' and a forceful punching of some random numbers with my index finger. It isn't always like this, of course. On some days, you can pick up the telephone and hear a bunch of other people screaming "allooo? Allooo?" E. once struck up a conversation with a complete stranger over the phone because they were both waiting for a line. E. wanted to call our uncle and the woman was trying to call her grandson.

Story out of Bagdad Burning, an Iraqi girl blogging

Posted on January 17, 2005
in Limit of my knowledge

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Paris Conference

For the SnowBlog.net project, I need to go to Paris, to present it to some people.

Long time readers of this blog surely know what it is about, but for newbies: SnowBlog stands for ‘Self Narratives On the Web. In words and pictures'

Several classes of children in Israel and the Palestinian Territories tell their narratives in words and images on their blogs.
Snowblog is an educational project aimed at forging paths for dialogue among youth belonging to communities in conflict.

Blogging combined with education is not new, but needs a major break through. And at this moment we are working on it.

Our project is being followed by several professors in Tel Aviv University, and starts to get some recognition in the educational field.
(Then again, that is just not enough. Money is the real matter, and that is still a tough question.)
Major results are being achieved, and right at this moment, a class in Gaza is busy with taking pics and posting them on the web.
Later on, these pics will be seen in a school in Tel Aviv, and 2 communities will start to exchange thoughts.

The results? I can tell you: amazing ones.
Last year, we gathers 2 linked classes, and it was a stunning moment.

I am working on SnowBlog for more than a year now, and the hard work might get some results if we keep on going.

Is this project naive? Maybe. It should be.
Today, some naivity is required.
Then again, I believe there is no other way.

Posted on January 17, 2005
in Projects - SnowBlog.net

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US special forces 'inside Iran'

_39395792_dimona203 The journalist who revealed prisoner abuse at Abu Ghraib says US special forces are operating inside Iran.

Well... I am not sure.
But surely doesn't seem a way to actually solve anything right now.

I mean, while Afghanistan is off the media agenda, things are surely not peaceful over there. One could argue that they were not peaceful before the US attacked. I have to confirm. Still...
Iraq is not solved at all. (I still wonder if they are better off now then before. You can ask it yourself.)
So now Iran?

Israel has a nuclear program too and never admitted.
So when Mordechai Vanunu revealed it to BCC, he was actually kidnapped by Mossad and brought to Israel, where he was jailed for 17 years.
He was released last year.
Only weeks ago a video on the site was broadcasted on Israeli television.
It passed the military sensor -which allows broadcasts or not- but still Israel didn't admit they have a program.

So will the US invade Israel? ;)

Hakan

Akif, an avid photoblogger, but first of all a very good photographer/artist, has released a new series.
Visit at HakanPhotography

Posted on January 18, 2005
in Friends around

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Your face for Tsunami 1212.

If you still didn't give any money, this is your chance.

Or you can just look at the other way: for only 20 euro you'll get a portrait made by a famous Belgian photographer.
Will be worth money later...

More details

Posted on January 19, 2005
in Living in Belgium

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Tailor-made ideas

Funny ideas people share. You can make them yourselve.

www.atypyk.com

Posted on January 19, 2005
in Linking context

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Conference in Paris

Former First lady of Portugal speaking.
(Click on the image. You need quicktime to see this short fragment)

Yesterday I went to Paris, for a conference on Peace Education for Children.
It is quite an interesting topic, but as in many cases, the danger to end up in very empty but beautiful ideas is always present.

The only answer I have on all those theories and superb illusionary projects is in fact our own SnowBlog project.
I don't claim of having invented the newest of the newest, nor that the project runs smoothly. But we are actually doing something.

What does it help to make another resolution which no country will ever follow? What does it help to philosophize about 'no violence' when there are people sitting in that same public that aren't able to open up the debate without falling into the cliches?

I don't always believe in these group sessions. I rather believe in 'doing'.
Maybe sometimes too much.
In the meanwhile I did learn that things have to have a profound structure -and actually I think it is the first necessity, otherwise you better don't start- and that long term thinking should be in the plans from the first moment.
So thinking is a necessity.

But solving the world in a room isn't my idea of change.

Yet, these sessions are rather interesting to get in touch with the right persons, because, networking on the web might be a faster way, reality shows that networking needs person-to-person contact.

Like that geekdinner of last night. Sorry I missed it, I was sitting in a Thalys direction home.

Posted on January 20, 2005
in Projects - SnowBlog.net

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Blogium: pro and contra

Blogium is a new initiative gathering posts of Belgian bloggers. It has a lot of potential and for that reason I like it.
It allows me to quickly see bloggers I wasn't aware of ( and was happily surprised by some fabulous writers out there)

And yet, the structure of Blogium lacks some key-elements, in my humble opinion.
First of all: I would love to see a list of all those active -Belgian- bloggers out there.
Next to that my most important remark is, that probably bloggers will start to copy posts to be in that top 30, because the more is written about a subject, the higher the ranking. -This post should be a proof of that ;)-
So it misses some bloggers that might write little pearls, but don't bother about 'popular subjects' and thus aren't gathered on the main page.
Results: the same bloggers will appear and re-appear on this main page.
Other result: information is a copy of a copy.
This is the main reason, why, at PhotoBlog.net, we didn't want to show 'the most popular pic or the most commented pic. Because it only recurs itself, over and over. The most popular gets more popular, while the others aren't allowed a chance.
Maybe Luc can do something about that... Offer a second page with a different coding.

Anyhow: congrats with that project.

Posted on January 20, 2005
in Technical stuff

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Quote

Stuff for an interesting discussion...

Posted on January 20, 2005
in Quoted

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Big brother watching you?

Cory Doctorow: Last week on a trip from London to the US, American Airlines demanded that I write out a list of the names and addresses of all the friends I would be staying with in the USA. They claimed that this was due to a TSA regulation, but refused to state which regulation required them to gather this information, nor what they would do with it once they'd gathered it. I raised a stink, and was eventually told that I wouldn't have to give them the requested dossier because I was a Platinum AAdvantage Card holder (e.g., because I fly frequently with AA). I have written an open letter to AA asking for details on this -- see the link below for the whole text.

The security officer then handed me a blank piece of paper and said, "Please write down the names and addresses of everyone you're staying with in the USA."

I actually began to write this out when I was brought up short. "Wait a second -- since when does AA compile a written dossier on the names and addresses of my friends? Why are you asking me this? Do you have a privacy policy and a data-retention policy I can inspect prior to this?"

The security officer told me that this was a Transport Security Agency (TSA) regulation. I asked for the name or number of the regulation, its text, and the details of the data-retention and privacy practices in place at AA UK. The security officer wasn't able to answer my questions, and she went to get her supervisor.

After several minutes, her supervisor appeared and said, after introducing himself, "Sir, this is for your own protection."

I think it's pretty hard to argue that making passengers produce written dossiers on their friends' home addresses makes planes in the sky secure. I asked again if this was really a TSA regulation and what AA's privacy and data-retention policies are.

The officer said, "This is a TSA regulation."

I said, "Why didn't I have to provide this information when I flew out of Gatwick on US Air in December then?"

He said, "Well, you know that American Airlines has had some terrible things happen to it in the past."

I asked "So the TSA wrote a special regulation for AA? What is the name of this regulation, and what is your data-retention and privacy policy?"

Link

Thanks BoingBoing

Posted on January 20, 2005
in Limit of my knowledge

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Basecamp: manage a shared project

A perfect project management system wasn't something I found until today.
The problems with project management were very diverse:
or it was running on a local server and not everyone could have access, or it was running online but nobody checked what was going on.
Most of the time it was just too expensive for what it had to serve/
Basecamp seems a solution with one simple add on: it offers RSS, and thus allowing you to see changes in the project in your rss-reader.
Fabulous invention.

Posted on January 20, 2005
in Linking context

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A book

Breast Awareness was a project PhotoBlog participated in.
One of my pictures was chosen.
Such a thing is 'not real', until the moment you see the results.
Then you think: What the heck, I am published in a book in Beijing!

Moko, congrats again with that project.

Posted on January 20, 2005
in Friends around, Projects

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PodGuide through your city

Today I found a launch of a great -again Belgian- initiative.
PodGuides. A kind of city guide you can download on your iPod -or other mp3-device-
Could work greatly together with Doppler I guess.
PodGuides is seeking guides, and wants you to be part of it.
Make an interactive city guide, record it on your ipod and post it. Many will be grateful.

I am already dreaming of a very mysterious walk in Ghent. Be prepared...
So Anitas, Moko and others: you'll prepare your city guide for me?

Posted on January 20, 2005
in Projects - Podcasting

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If not now...

If I am not for myself, who shall be for me?
If I am only for myself, what am l?
If not now, when?

Rabbi Hillel, 2000 years ago.

Posted on January 20, 2005
in Quoted

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Custom Printed M&M's

Custom Mandms
M&M's have been available for special order in over 20 different colors for awhile now. Their latest-- custom messages. Perfect for the corporate candy jar or a chocolatly version of the classic Valentine's Day love not candies.

My own candy... Joohoo.

Posted on January 21, 2005
in Linking context

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Now Playing

It took me a while to find it, but finally got it: a 'now playing button'

I never found it on Last.FM, but then realized it would be probably AudioScrobbler that would provide such a thing.
And yep. I got it...

You can find it permanently in my links, where to me it is the best place to show.

Posted on January 22, 2005
in Music

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Discover/Disc cover

Playlistsimix04272004
Last year I started a small project: Discover/ Disc Cover.

I was pretty much of a fuzz to do it every month.
But one year later the chances have multiplied in the web.
Thus a new try...

Did you know Apple has iMixes now? Sell your own albums on iTunes and share taste.

Posted on January 22, 2005
in Discover/Disc cover

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Ecto got updated

ecto - 2.2:
My favorite blogging tool got updates. Almost perfect.

Posted on January 23, 2005
in Technical stuff

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Surfin' around

And had to pass this GREAT link, a little parody on sex and the city.
Enjoy.
Art and inspiration by Malaran, who is releasing some great Tees today at the TeeMuseum

Posted on January 24, 2005
in Linking context

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Pixel-clad shopping centre

To update the Galleria Mall in Seoul, Dutch firm UN Studio and theatre lighting specialist Rogier van der Heide (working for ARUP) mounted individual LEDs behind 4,340 frosted glass disks, turning a 1970s concrete structure into an ever-changing, light-reactive and computer-programmable facade that behaves like a giant video screen.

Shimmering by day and radiant at night, the disks are frosted on both sides to diminish sun glare and diffuse light produced by LED fixtures behind each disk, capable of generating 16 million colors. Because each LED is individually controlled, together the disks act like pixels on a huge screen, displaying text, scenes, and color schemes changed via the Internet, up to 20 times per second.

Via MetropolisMag.
Archinect has an image gallery.

Posted on January 24, 2005
in Linking context

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Moltov Projector Media Cartridge

The Moltov Projector Media Cartridge , by Gabe Dunne, is a (fictional) weapon for Guerrilla media artists, allowing them to project words onto any surface, with a diameter of about 20 to 30 feet.

Once the cartridge is attached on a surface, the owner may call it via cellphone and reprogram the projection as desired. To remove the cartridge from the surface, the artist connects to it, enters a PIN, which will disengage the cartridge enabling its user to retrieve it. Multiple projectors may be linked to create a moving message across multiple surfaces. Other possible uses include the support to project images, and static projects of any shape.

More details.

Via we make money not art

Posted on January 24, 2005
in Linking context

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Palestinians Fear East Jerusalem Land Grab

The Israeli government secretly approved a measure that says it may seize land in East Jerusalem owned by Palestinians.

Via NYT > International

Posted on January 25, 2005
in Living in Israel

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Bush 'to ask for more war funds'

The US administration is expected to request an additional $80bn for military operations in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Via BBC News

This extract reaches the limit of my thinking:

Congressional aides said three-quarters of the expected $80bn spending request is likely to be for the army. It is also expected to include money for building a US embassy in the Iraqi capital Baghdad, estimated to cost $1.5bn.

Spending request

The budget request will also give an idea of the president's other foreign policy priorities, with significant sums likely to be allocated to help the new Palestinian and Ukrainian governments.

The package that Mr Bush will eventually put to Congress is also expected to include $650m in aid for Asian nations hit by last month's tsunami.

Notice the difference of bn and m.

Posted on January 25, 2005
in Limit of my knowledge

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Christo in NYC

Christo in NYC. That must be the exhibit on your list to see:

On Monday, February 7, 2005, weather permitting, approximately 700 non-skilled workers (in teams of 7) will elevate The Gates assemblies -- 2 vertical and one horizontal pole, the upper and lower aluminum corners and base assembly and the fabric panel in a cocoon, attached to the upper horizontal pole. The fabric panels will not initially be seen because they will be restrained in the cocoons which will remain closed until Saturday, February 12, when all the cocoons will be opened, in one day (maybe in one morning), weather permitting, as with all our projects.

The Gates will remain in Central park for 16 days, then the removal will start.

Tamar, let's catch that flight?

Posted on January 25, 2005
in Linking context

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Target: Design for All

Target Designforall1

If you have not yet caught Target's latest TV ad, Design for All, you must go watch it right away. It's a brilliant illustration of what design is. Target's manifesto and promise is that you're going to love living by design. Lots of us already do, but there are so many people out there who don't get it. This spot sums it up perfectly as Target continues to make good design accessible to a larger audience.

Via Josh Rubin: Cool Hunting

Posted on January 26, 2005
in Design

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Interactive television

Belgian national television got a new name and face 'One'
-It took them more then 50 years to find this name... meanwhile everyone I know refers to National television as 'Put it on one'-.

With this facelift, a new bunch of programs and series are launched.
One of them 'Kinderen van De Windt' (children of the Windt), which tells the story a family running a business.
Business in Belgium is hard (as a child of entrepeneurs, and with a business myself, I do know what I am talking about.) Due to high taxes, less and less people are attracted by having their own business.
Yet, Belgium needs it. Business means jobs. Something we urgently need.

This series seems to play on this need, and seems certainly supported by our government.
Next to the 'non-active part' there are some extra features.
Several web utilities that interact with the viewer that might be interested in starting a business.
(Research, online game and educative tool)
I'll be playing the web module 'Business Master' soon.

This must be what they mean by interactive television...

More here.

Posted on January 26, 2005
in Living in Belgium

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Love for Sale

I'm herewith resigning as a member of the liberal media elite. I'm joining up with the conservative media elite. They get paid better.

Via NYT > Opinion

Posted on January 27, 2005

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Postings in Dutch

Yep, i am posting in Dutch again.
You can read here

Posted on January 27, 2005
in Living in Belgium

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Family Pic

This is the result of the photo shoot 'Uw Mooiste Glimlach' (which was a huge success:1004 pics taken for 20 euro/each. You can count...)

The organization was seamless and perfect: for this little amount you got 2 drinks and a shoot. A waiting cue of 1.5 hour was due to the high success (well you don't get every day the chance to be pictured by a famous photographer), but nobody seem to bother that much.

There are many photographers to choose from, but I insisted on taking Marco Mertens. His pictures for the Standard Magazine are fabulous. He also took time to make a good portret -while others were pretty tired and just started shooting at some point-

Why we went, me as a photographer? Because I hate making portraits for my family, they are never satisfied... They look too old, too this or too that.
So, having taking that pic by someone else is my solution. Surely when it is taken by a 'recognized photographer'
The results is truly stunning, and me, I am sure they will never say 'Look, you can see my wrinkles.'

(Only big comment on the matter: wow.. Spector Online Service is BAD. Took me exactly 3 hours to get what I wanted. That programmer can be fired...)

Posted on January 28, 2005
in Living in Belgium

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Mom's birthday

Yesterday Mom got 50.
Happy birthday!

Posted on January 28, 2005
in Living in Belgium

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Ax for beginners...

Airportexpress

Yep I wanted one, a real Airport Express, just to distribute my GB of music to a real music platform, no longer out of the small boxes of this portable. The fact that prices dropped and I can take the Ax to extend other networks -when traveling- is a nice advantage.

So I went to Brussels and bought one, pleased by the amazing packaging of Apple -to all design freaks: this must be the reason why we love Apple. Those details....-

Though..... It took me 5 hours to get it working, and even now I don't have a clue exactly how I got it working!
No points for Apple this time.
-I think the thing got working immediately after a firmware update, but I am not sure at all-

'Yet, I am very happy', she said, while pearls were bouncing through her room in good acoustic:

Now playing Are 'Friends' Electric? from the album "Random" by An Pierle

*Update: it is really worth the money... So great to hear that sound out of good speakers instead of those tiny little things.
And wireless. No fuzz with those cables...

Posted on January 29, 2005
in Technical stuff

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