The Road to the Horizon The Road to the Horizon Short stories about travelling to remote places, working in unusual places, life as a humanitarian aid worker, expeditions and sailing. But mostly about enjoying the road more than reaching the destination. Articles
News: Bloggers unite against human rights.
2008-05-15 23:47:00 According to CNN, over 7 million bloggers unite to raise awareness on human rights issues, supporting Amnesty International's campaigns. Are you a blogger, or trying to make a difference on human rights issues? Check here.More posts on The Road about human rights. More About: Bloggers
News: Who profits from the global food crisis?
2008-05-15 23:03:00 The prices of wheat, corn and rice have soared over the past year driving the world's poor ? who already spend about 80 per cent of their income on food ? into hunger and destitution.While the poor are getting poorer, the rich are getting richer:Monsanto last month reported a doubling of its 3 months' net income over the same period in 2007, from $543m (£275m) to $1.12bn. Its profits increased from $1.44bn to $2.22bn.Cargill's net earnings soared by 86 per cent from $553m to $1.030bn over the same three months.Archer Daniels Midland, one of the world's largest agricultural processors of soy, corn and wheat, increased its net earnings by 42 per cent in the first three months of this year from $363m to $517m. The operating profit of its grains merchandising and handling operations jumped 16-fold from $21m to $341m.The Mosaic Company, one of the world's largest fertiliser companies, saw its income for the three months ending 29 February rise more than 12-fold, from $42.2m to $520.... More About: Profits
Picture of the Day: Trapped in China
2008-05-14 09:34:00 A rescuer holds the hand of a trapped student at Wudu Primary School on the outskirts of Mianzhu, in Sichuan Province, China. Rescue workers across southwestern China struggle to reach the tens of thousands of people who remain buried in the aftermath of the earthquake, as the death toll climbs above 13,000. (Full)Picture courtesy of Chen Jianli (Xinhua via Reuters)
Rumble: Translator of Nightmares
2008-05-13 12:27:00 I read hundreds of articles and blog entries about Darfur. Few have impacted me as much as this article, covering a book, "The Translator: A Tribesman's Memoir of Darfur" written by Daoud Hari.Daoud Hari is a Dafur tribes man who assisted journalists travelling in his region as a translator. A translator of horror stories.Sleepless during nights of exile in Chad, Daoud Hari stared at cracks in his room's mud walls. The lines formed random shapes that reminded him of drawings from thousands of years ago -- of horned beasts, of women, men and children. He had seen them in the cool mountain caves of Darfur, where he played as a boy. They triggered an urge to sketch scenes of the savagery and starvation he had witnessed in the once-tranquil lands of his childhood.During those uneasy nights, he picked up pencil and paper to turn his torment into tolerable numbness.He drew the woman who had hanged herself from a tree with her shawl because she could not feed her children. Hari had found...
Picture of the day: Cyclone Nargis in Myanmar
2008-05-09 15:09:00 Almost a week after Cyclone Nargis inundated Myanmar ?s densely settled coast, wiped out villages and left untold tens of thousands dead and hundreds of thousands homeless, the first two United Nations flights carrying relief supplies arrived in Myanmar, formerly known as Burma, on Thursday. (Full)More "Picture s of the Day" on the Road.Picture courtesy Andy Newman (New York Times) More About: Picture of the day
Rumble: Venice, the conclusion of a weekend.
2008-05-08 23:48:00 Just to conclude this series about Venice , here are the last photo impressions I wanted to share:View the slideshow of all my Venice pictures.Check out other posts on the Road about Venice. More About: Weekend
Rumble: When you think of Venice: Food...
2008-05-08 23:34:00 Many visitors to Italy will appreciate the food. Not the usual spaghetti or pizza, but the real Italian food: Italy excels in simple but real tasty food. I sell my soul for the sea food, prosciutto (raw ham), the cheeses,...Visiting Venice last weekend, reminded me that this town has its own traditions. Some of it, is embraced into Italian traditions, like tiramisu (which was 'born' in this region). Some say "gelato", Italian ice cream is better in Venice than anywhere else in Italy:.But the pastry shops, while not as abundant as those in Vienna, in the quality, taste and variety, are not to be found anywhere else in Italy: View the slideshow of all my Venice pictures.Check out other posts on the Road about Venice. More About: Food
Rumble: When you think of Venice: Glass art
2008-05-08 23:19:00 One more think many people think of, when talking about Venice : Venetian glass..!Venetian glass making tradition goes way back, but only got really known when the Venetian Republic, fearing fire and destruction to the city?s mostly wood buildings, ordered glass makers to move their foundries to the island of Murano, in the Venetian archipelago in 1291. Murano's glass makers were soon the island?s most prominent citizens. By the 14th century, glass makers were allowed to wear swords, enjoyed immunity from prosecution by the Venetian state and found their daughters married into Venice?s most affluent families. The catch was that glass makers weren't allowed to leave the Republic.Murano?s glass makers held a monopoly on quality glass making for centuries, developing or refining many technologies including crystalline glass, enameled glass (smalto), glass with threads of gold (aventurine), multicolored glass (millefiori), milk glass (lattimo), and imitation gemstones made of glass. T... More About: Glass
Rumble: When you think of Venice: Carnival
2008-05-08 23:03:00 What else do you think of when hearing "Venice "? Pumuckl commented in a previous post saying: "Carnival "!And she is right! The carnival of Venice was first recorded in 1268, and has been a long tradition since then. Strolling through the alleys of Venice, we came across many shops where they sold the typical Venetian masks, made in leather or with the original papier-mâché technique. The original masks were rather simple in design and decoration. They often had a symbolic and practical function. Nowadays, most of them are made with the application of gesso and gold leaf and are all hand-painted using natural feathers and gems to decorate.A photo impression:View the slideshow of all my Venice pictures.Check out other posts on the Road about Venice.
Rumble: When you think of Venice: Architecture
2008-05-07 13:09:00 Ok... water and gondola's, the romance,... what else do you think of when you hear the word "Venice "?Mmmm.. how about the history and architecture...? A photo impression:View the slideshow of all my Venice pictures More About: Architecture
Rumble: When you think of Venice: City of Romance
2008-05-05 23:57:00 For many, Venice is a city of romanceGondola's in the evening sunEvening stroll with a gondola:Evening impressions:Couples everywhere...View the slideshow of all my Venice pictures More About: Romance , City
Rumble: When you think of Venice: Gondola's and water
2008-05-05 23:56:00 Ok, unraveling of the secret: we were in Venice last weekend. ;-)Matt, one of the readers of The Road, commented a while ago that my blog was listed in the "travel" category of one of the blog directories while it seems more like a political blog.I agree that lately I have been posting more news flashes (often with a bit of political cynism, I admit). But in essence, this blog is neither one or the other... I write about things that happen around me. Sometimes I am in a critical mood, sometimes I am involved in my daily (aid) work environment, and sometimes I am travelling. So the contents of the posts change as my life changes. ;-) The next few posts will be about travelling. Promise!So.. Venice... OK.. Here is a question for you. When hear "Venice", what do you think about? I bet the first thing would be "gondola's" and water. Rightfully so.It is originally built on the mudflats, an archipelago of 118 islands formed by about 150 canals in a shallow lagoon. The islands are connect... More About: Water
Rumble: Guess some more...
2008-05-04 22:32:00 Okay... Here is one more hint where we went for the long weekend... (more pictures to come this week) More About: Venice , Guess
News: UN calls impact of biofuel on food crisis "criminal"
2008-04-29 23:55:00 Jean Ziegler, the United Nations special rapporteur on the right to food, said the United States and the European Union have taken a "criminal path" by contributing to an explosive rise in global food prices by using food crops to produce biofuels.Ziegler stated that last year the United States used a third of its corn crop to create biofuels, while the European Union is planning to have 10 percent of its petrol supplied by biofuels. He called for a five-year moratorium on the production of biofuels.Ziegler also said that speculation on international markets is behind 30 percent of the increase in food prices. (Full)US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice admitted that setting aside farmland to produce biofuels like ethanol may be partly to blame for driving up world food prices. "There has been apparently some effect, unintended consequence from the alternative fuels effort". (Full)Meanwhile President Bush President George Bush confirms he is deeply concerned about high food prices ... More About: News , Food , Biofuel , Calls , Criminal
News: UN troops smuggled gold, ivory and 'armed Congo rebels'
2008-04-29 22:29:00 An 18-month BBC investigation for Panorama has found evidence that:- Pakistani peacekeepers in the eastern town of Mongbwalu were involved in the illegal trade in gold with the FNI militia (described by Human Rights Watch as "some of the most murderous individuals that operate in eastern Congo "), providing them with weapons to guard the perimeter of the mines.- The Indians traded gold, bought drugs from the militias and flew a UN helicopter into the Virunga National Park, where they exchanged ammunition for ivory.A UN investigation concluded that one officer had been responsible for dealing in gold - allowing traders to use UN aircraft to fly into the town, putting them up at the UN base and taking them around the town. But the UN decided that "in the absence of corroborative evidence" its investigators "could not substantiate the allegation" that Pakistani peacekeepers supplied weapons or ammunition to the militia.It did, however, identify "an individual who seemed to have facilita... More About: News , Africa , Gold , Troops
Picture of the day: Drawing from Darfur.
2008-04-28 21:43:00 This picture was drawn by a young Chadian boy in a camp for displaced persons in Eastern Chad. His drawing describes the attack on his village by Janjaweed militias from Sudan. On the top left hand corner of the drawing is written ?ataque village? (French for ?attack of the village?). The attackers, wearing military uniforms and on camels are shooting civilians with machine guns and burning their houses. Bullets are coming from all over. Next to each civilian that is shot is the word ?Morts? which is the plural of ?dead? in French.More posts on The Road about Darfur Picture courtesy wagingpeace.info More About: Drawing , Picture of the day
News: The Global Food Crisis Map
2008-04-27 22:28:00 Der Spiegel published a good overview of the current food crisis, depicting the raising food prices, and the countries limiting food exports, and where all of this sparked unrest. (click on the picture for a higher resolution)There are however some "food unrest" locations which were forgotten: Morocco, Philippines, Bangladesh, Jordan, Mexico... Paints an even worse picture.More articles on the Road about the global food crisis.Picture courtesy Der Spiegel. More About: News , Food , Global , Crisis
News: Like a Perfect Storm, the Global Food Crisis Now Heads For Canada, US
2008-04-27 22:26:00 Since several months, I have been reporting on the food crisis sparking hunger and riots in different parts of the globe.Like in a perfect storm, different factors contributed to a disaster scenario: increased fuel prices, an artificial push for biofuel crops, adverse weather phenomena, changing food habits, increased demand and financial speculation on the futures markets (see this summary)As expected, the storm first hit the poorest countries, where food constitutes easily 40% of a family's budget. But now the bad weather has reached closer to home: the US and Canada .While the first news articles only started to appear one or two days ago, and the symptoms are still scattered and early to detect, it does ring an alarm bell. An overview of what I have picked up so far:In the US, rationing of some food commodities seems to be just around the corner:- At the Costco in San Francisco, rice is all the rage. Not long after the 10 a.m. opening on Apr. 24, the warehouse was well on its wa... More About: News , Food , Storm , Global
Picture of the day: Bio-Spill
2008-04-27 19:45:00 A big stain of palm oil invades the shore of Taganga beach in Colombia after 10 tons of oil was spilled from the production plant of Terlica. Residents complained seeing about the dead fish but the spokesperson of Terlica said the oil is biodegradable and won't harm the environment.More Picture s of the Day on the Road.Picture courtesy AFP More About: Picture of the day
News: The World According to Monsanto: The Horror of Commercial GM Crops.
2008-04-27 11:14:00 Reading through all the news about the global food crisis, I lacked one thing: the solution to this problem or even the slightest hint to one.In many discussion fora and through comments on social bookmarking sites, it was often suggested that genetically modified (GM) crops, said to yield a higher production, and to be more pest-resistant, could mean the solution to world hunger.I started to search around for more info on genetically modified organism (GMO) or genetically engineered organism (GEO), and came across several posts referring to a video called "The World According to Monsanto " by a French independent filmmaker, Marie-Monique Robin.The movie researches the credibility of (or rather lack thereof) US based Monsanto, one of the biggest chemical companies in the world and the provider of the seed technology for 90 percent of the world?s genetically engineered (GE) crops.Here is what Greenpeace has to say about the movie, and the company:The story starts in the White House, w... More About: News , Commercial , Horror
Picture of the day: Pakistan food queues
2008-04-26 18:10:00 People queueing for food at the entrance of a shop near Islamabad. The cost of food and fuel increased significantly in Pakistan , forcing more and more people to turn to public aid.Check for more "Picture s of the Day" and other posts about the global food crisis on The Road.Picture courtesy AP/Morenatti, Source: Le Figaro More About: Food , Picture of the day , Queues
News: Louis Vuitton Sues Darfur Fundraiser
2008-04-26 14:46:00 The Paris based fashion house Louis Vuitton has filed charges against Nadia Plesner, a Dutch 26 year old student artist for selling posters and t-shirts of a Darfur victim, holding a designer bag inspired by a Louis Vuitton design. All of the profits were going to charity.Nadia said: ?I started this campaign because of the distorted way the media prioritizes between big and small world news. How can Paris Hilton make more front covers than the genocide in Darfur? So, I ?pimped? a victim, to see if it worked. And it did!?Louis Vuitton now demands $7,500 (5,000 Euro) for each day she continues to sell Simple Life products, $7,500 for each day their letter is published on the website and $7,500 a day for using the name ?Louis Vuitton? on her website. In addition they want her to pay their lawyer costs and $15,000 to cover other expenses they have incurred in protecting their ?intellectual property?. (Full)More posts on The Road about Darfur.Source: Torrent FreakPicture courtesy Nadia P... More About: News , Fundraiser
News: When Green Goes Commercial: Bio-Corn Fuels Gulf of Mexico's "Dead Zon
2008-04-26 13:00:00 "Dead zones" are areas in the world's oceans where marine life can not be supported due to depleted oxygen levels. Fish can flee potential suffocation by migrating to other areas, but they are often quickly rendered unconscious and die. Even if they survive studies show a decrease in size of reproductive organs causing low egg counts and lack of spawning. Slow moving bottom-dwelling creatures like clams, lobsters and oysters are unable to escape. All colonial animals are extinguished. (More)In other words: a "dead zone" is a vicious circle turning an ocean into a desert, incapable of supporting any marine life.The most notorious dead zone is a 22,126 square kilometer (8,543 square mile) region in the Gulf of Mexico, the size of the State of New Jersey. The area has about doubled in size since scientists began studying it in 1985, a good enough reason to be alarmed.One of the main causes of the Gulf's dead zone is the Mississippi River's dumping of high-nutrient runoff from the he... More About: News , Commercial , Green , Corn
News: When Green Goes Commercial: The Waste of Biofuel Production
2008-04-26 01:06:00 Biofuel is all about blue skies and clean water, a world with less pollution. An ideal like so many, which turns foul when the commercial world gets hold of it. Once the chase for profit comes primary, even the cleanest biofuel turns out to be a culprit to nature.When the Black Warrior River in Alabama got covered with an oily, fetid substance, the source of the pollution was traced to the Alabama Biodiesel Corporation plant, the state's biodiesel plant, a refinery turning soybean oil into earth-friendly fuel. The spills, resembling Italian salad dressing, were 450 times higher than permit levels allow and are similar to others that have come from biofuel plants in the Midwest.According to the National Biodiesel Board, a trade group, biodiesel is nontoxic, biodegradable and suitable for sensitive environments, but scientists say that position understates its potential environmental impact: As with most organic materials, oil and glycerin deplete the oxygen content of water very qui... More About: News , Commercial , Biofuel , Green , Production
Picture of the day: World Malaria Day
2008-04-26 00:54:00 Indian flood victims suffering from malaria lie on hospital beds in Alindra (India) after the 2004 floods. Malaria kills 1 million people every year.Today is World Malaria Day. (Full)Picture courtesy Amit Dave/Reuters More About: Picture of the day
News: The Pentagon's dirty media war.
2008-04-25 22:10:00 Journalists were (and still are) embedded in the US military forces in Iraq. But it was also the other way round: the Pentagon proves to be far more embedded in the US media than the public was to know.How one think lead to another: In spring 2006, several retired US generals started to speak up against the -then- US Secretary of Defence Donald Rumsfeld's handling of the Iraq war calling for his resignation. In a desperate counteroffensive, the Pentagon called in the support of its "media embedded army" of military retirees hired by the US media as "analysts". This was done in such a flagrant way ignoring any sense for honesty and decency, that a number of the so-called-analysts spoke up and opened up an even bigger can of worms:They revealed just how much the Pentagon had a grip on the media, where retirees eating out of the Rumsfeld's hand repeatedly used US government issued talking points as their own "expert" opinion, adding direct credibility to misinformation the Pentagon w... More About: News , Media , Dirty
News: High fuel price makes planes fly slower
2008-04-24 00:33:00 Despite a hike in fuel prices, Brussels Airlines decided not to increase its fuel tax, but rather to slow its Avro planes by about 10km/h (from Mach 0.7 to Mach 0.69) on European routes. This would cut its annual fuel bill by 1 million euros ($1.6m), adding an average minute or two to flight times. (Ed: Flying to Rome, that does not matter, as minimum waiting time for luggage at Fiumicino airport is one hour anyway...)Other measures taken are to use lighter seat covers (saving 50 kg per flight), and to monitor the amount of water taken onboard to flush the toilet. They are also considering taking out all of the ashtrays, which are unused anyway. (Full article in English or in Dutch)More posts on the Road about Brussels Airlines, flying and Belgium.Picture courtesy ringwayreports.co.uk More About: News , Fuel , Price , High , Planes
Picture of the day: Old uses New facilities
2008-04-23 22:40:00 This weekend, Rome celebrated the anniversary of its legendary foundation. The step back in history did not extend to the toilet facilities used by the parading Roman soldiers.. ;-)Picture courtesy AP/BBC. Thanks to "E" (not that one, but the other "E") for the link! More About: Picture of the day , Facilities
Rumble: Help! I am Paypal-ing! Help!
More articles from this author:2008-04-22 23:13:00 Last Saturday I had a problem with my Paypal account. Someone had sent me money, but Paypal did not allow me to accept the transfer for one reason or the other.Here is the factual exchange of Emails so far, in which I blanked the sensitive data.April 19. Message from [name client] via the Paypal websiteSubject: personal account: did not reach receiving limit, yet paypal tells me it doesI recently received a payment of £###, and when 'accepting' this payment, Paypal states I have reached my monthly limit of $1000, which is not correct. Please check -Thank you.April 20: Email from Paypal to [name client]Dear [name client],Thank you for taking the time to contact us with your concerns. I am happy to assist you further.Mr. [name client], I have reviewed your account but I can not find any receiving limits on your account. Please inform us where and how we have told you that you have reached your receiving limits.Please let me know if you need further assistance.Sincerely,JasperPayPal,... 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 |
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