Saturday, December 23, 2006

Where I wish I was this Christmas!

Finding SA's secret beaches

With a coastline of 3 000 kilometres, South Africa has enough beaches to accommodate thousands of sun lovers without ever getting crowded. The beaches near the larger coastal cities get most visitors, of course, and in high summer bathers might have to negotiate a tangle of tanned limbs to get from the sea to their towels.

But there are dozens of other beaches along the country's coastline where you can find space, privacy, soft sand and clear blue waves.


Cape West Coast


If you want to avoid Cape Town's main beaches, head up the west coast towards Namibia and you'll find one spectacular seascape after another. The coastline has stunning wind-lashed scenery and may at times look dry and barren. But in spring the region's world-famous wild flowers transform the area into a magic carpet of colour.

A West Coast fisherman

A West Coast fisherman, with crayfish (Photo: South African Tourism)


The long white beaches and rocky outcrops provide some of the most private beaches, not to mention best surfing waves. Secret places to visit include Eland's Bay, Paternoster, Lambert's Bay and Yzerfontein. Lambert's Bay

Lambert's Bay is one of the West Coast's secret places (Photo: South African Tourism)


In summer you can enjoy fresh crayfish at reasonable prices in local eateries. As this side of South Africa is on the Atlantic Ocean, the water is a lot colder than in the warm Indian Ocean to the east. But that doesn't stop swimmers from enjoying a bracing dip.


Cape Peninsula

While the fashionable Cape Town beaches - particularly Camps Bay, Clifton and Llandudno - are overrun in summer, visitors can still find sandy solitude. Noordhoek's Long Beach is a serene sweep of sand over two kilometres long, backed by beautiful fynbos-covered mountains.

Cape Point

Cape Point likes to think it's the southernmost tip of Africa - but actually it's not (Photo: South African Tourism)


Sandy Bay, just next to Llandudno, is similarly isolated and lovely, as long as one doesn't mind the nudists for which this beach is notorious.
Blaauwberg offers the best views of Table Mountain and is long enough to avoid people, if that's what you're after. Or travel just a little way to the dune-fringed beauties of Betty's Bay, Kleinmond and Pringle Bay.


Cape East Coast


East of the Cape Town, the coastline offers one sleepy seaside town after another, each with its own personality and beaches. Here the Indian Ocean laps the continent with its warm coastal currents. The further east you travel from Cape Town, the warmer the sea gets.
Hermanus is a popular weekend and holiday spot, and the beaches can be crowded. But a five-minute drive out of the village takes you to the more peaceful Grotto Beach.

Arniston

Arniston, a restored fishing village, is particularly beautiful, and out of season is all but isolated (Photo: South African Tourism)

Follow the coastline north and the gems of Gansbaai, Pearly Beach and Arniston beckon. Arniston, a restored fishing village, is particularly beautiful, and out of season is all but isolated.


Eastern Cape


Those allergic to crowds will want to avoid the seaside havens of Plettenberg Bay, Knysna and George in high season, but again there are beaches just out of town that offer space and scenery aplenty. Port Elizabeth and East London have places of historic interest as well as some good swimming spots. East London's Gonubie Beach is one of the country's prettiest, as yet unclaimed by hordes of beachgoers.

Knysna

Knysna in the Eastern Cape (Photo: SA Tourism)

Cape St Francis and Seaview Game Park, both near Port Elizabeth, are similarly untrammelled.


The Wild Coast


Formerly known as the Transkei, this is a breathtakingly beautiful region. It has many remote, rural locations offering unspoiled velvet-green hills and pristine beaches.

Bashee Point

Bashee Point on the Wild Coast (Photo: South African Tourism)


Some parts are harder to access, but places with facilities include Mazeppa Bay, Coffee Bay, Hole-in-the-Wall, Trennerys, Mngazi and Presley Bay.

Hole-in-the-Wall

Hole-in-the-Wall has a unique rock formation out to sea (Photo: South African Tourism)

Locals are friendly and hospitable and these are ideal holiday resorts for those wanting nothing more than a beach, a few good surfing waves and perhaps the odd fishing trip.


KwaZulu-Natal


Nestled between the Indian Ocean and the Drakensberg mountains, KwaZulu-Natal is hot, humid and subtropical. These are the best beaches for those who like to float in the sea for hours on end, and the mild temperatures in winter make it an all-year-round holiday destination. Durban's beaches can leave one jostling for elbow room in season and nearby towns such as Southbroom and Ballito have recently exploded with holiday homes, but you don’t have to go far to avoid the crowds.

Sodwana Bay

Sodwana Bay National Park in KwaZulu-Natal (Photo: South African Tourism)


On the north coast, near the Mozambique border, is the ecotourism paradise of Kosi Bay, a pristine estuary surrounded by lush marsh forest, mangrove, ferns and orchids. Take a walk between tanning sessions and you could spot a hippo, a crocodile or a loggerhead turtle. Nearby St Lucia, a protected nature reserve and one of South Africa's seven World Heritage sites, has beautiful long beaches and lukewarm water. Other secret spots include Mtunzini, Zinkwazi and Blythedale. The south coast beaches aren't quite as isolated, but small towns such as St Michaels, Hibberdene and Umkomaas are less inhabited, particularly in the mild winters.

Source: South African Tourism

Monday, December 18, 2006

Christmas Poem

taken from the Sunday Papers...

"It was the first Christmas and…

God giggled
God farted
God burped
God gurgled
God needed a cuddle
God was a baby…

Christmas reminds us:

That we don’t have to find God – he finds us in our humanity –
We don’t have to go up - he came down
We find God in the physical, in our bodies, in material, in humanity.
God became one of us…."

by James Hawes

Sunday, December 10, 2006

To Share or not to Share?

It is so difficult to find resources to use when teaching. Maybe these are some of the reasons we do not share them as teachers...

  1. I don't have time to check the online site since I'm too buy creating materials.
  2. My stuff is not good enough to share.
  3. I don't want anyone else using my great writing technique.
  4. I've heard that blogs and other collaborative programs like that have porn so I'm staying away from them.
  5. Other subject area teachers don't teach like I do so their materials or ideas won't help me.
  6. I've used the same materials for the last 20 years and I won't change now.
  7. I have all the transparencies I need.
  8. Once I close the door, it is my private world.
  9. I am an expert in my subject area.
  10. My students like to listen to me lecture each period.
I am sure I have something to learn from this list.

interesting observation

There has been much debatein the UK about the show of old SA flags at the recent Springbok rugby matches. A leading SA rugby website displayed the following pictures and asked for comment. Me thinks they might have been "fixed"

!The image “http://www.rugby365.com/mediastore/images/South_Africa2/black_supporters_with_old_sa_flag_200.jpg” cannot be displayed, because it contains errors.

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Saturday, December 09, 2006

Impressive!

South Africa is set to break its tourism records again in 2006, with almost 4.7-million foreign visitors arriving in the country between January and July - a 15.8% increase over the same period in 2005 - putting the country's tourism growth rate at three times the growth rate for tourism worldwide.

Thursday, December 07, 2006

Good news for EL


There are seven new investors in the new Automobile Supplier Park at the East London Industrial Development Zone in the Eastern Cape, it was announced on Wednesday. They will inject R395-million into the industrial development zone (IDZ), bringing the total investment to R755-million since its inception - link


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Monday, November 27, 2006

Gender Desicions

I read this on Hamo's blog this morning and thought it was worth sharing...

"FREEZER BAGS: They are male, because they hold everything in, but you can see right through them.
PHOTOCOPIERS: These are female, because once turned off, it takes a while to warm them up again.They are an effective reproductive device if the right buttons are pushed, but can also wreak havoc if you push the wrong buttons.
TYRES: Tyres are male, because they go bald easily and are often over inflated.
HOT AIR BALLOONS: Also a male object, because to get them to go anywhere, you have to light a fire under their arse
SPONGES: These are female, because they are soft, squeezable and retain water.
WEB PAGES: Female, because they’re constantly being looked at and frequently getting hit on.
TRAINS: Definitely male, because they always use the same old lines for picking up people.
EGG TIMERS: Egg timers are female because, over time, all the weight shifts to the bottom.
HAMMERS: Male, because in the last 5000 years, they’ve hardly changed at all, and are occasionally handy to have around.
THE REMOTE CONTROL: Female. Ha! You probably thought it would be male, but consider this: It easily gives a man pleasure, he’d be lost without it, and while he doesn’t always know which buttons to push, he just keeps trying"

Saturday, November 18, 2006

What happens when coke and mentos come into contact?

Monday, November 13, 2006

Koos's inside track on the Bok team for Saturday

JAKE WHITE's TEAM FOR SATURDAY:

FULLBACK: BUTCH JAMES
WINGS: LAWRENCE SEPAKA, ANDRE PRETORIUS
CENTRES: JOHN SMITH (captain), JUAN SMITH
FLYHALF: FLOORS KABAMBA
SCRUMHALF: OS DU RANDT

PROPS: BREYTON PAULSE, BRENT RUSSELL
HOOKER: JEAN DE VILLIERS
LOCKS: ENRICO JANUARY, DE WET BARRY (if available)
LOOSE FORWARDS: whoever gets there first!!!

I think Koos has got it right!

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Sunday, November 12, 2006

Africa!

You know you're from Africa when...
  • it doesn't seem right to pay the asking price on anything in a store. If you can't barter for it, it's not worth having.
  • you're appalled that American grocery stores only sell one or two different types of bananas.
  • your parents yell at you for forgeting to use silverware in public.
  • you're going to visit your Grandparents and take you passport ~ just in case you have to evacuate.
  • you find all the non-white people on campus so you can be a minority again.
  • you can lead a 20 minute conversation starting with "walleponaua!!"and keep it going by replying "ehh" in numerous different tone-levelsfor the next half an hour! (...and have the other person exactly understand what you are saying!!)
  • you fear for you life while riding in a Taxi....anywhere!
  • you call everyone older then you uncle or aunt.
  • you'd rather be barefoot
  • you know that the bloody gooey messthey call beef jerky in the States would never pass for true biltong.
  • every toothpaste is colgate.
  • every soap is surf.
  • every softdrink is coca cola or fanta.
  • you have uncles and aunts who are younger than you.
  • black outs are nothing new to you.
  • no running water for a day is just another ordinary thing
  • 40 degrees is cold.
  • you can do your monthly shopping on the pavement.
  • four cars are driving parallel to each other on a one-lane road.
  • the smell of freshly rained on mud paths/tarmac is comforting.
  • being an hour late equals being "on time"
  • you get car sick because the roads just don't have enough potholes!
  • you pass by someones house and you know what they gointg to have for dinner because you can pretty much see and/or smell what's cooking
  • you can bribe a cop and get away with it!
  • you have an over whelming urge to wash all your salad in milton(baby bottle bleach, supposedly kills cholera) and add a bit ofcharcoal to your milk just to get the taste your used to.
  • you know that the police isn't always the safest place to go when you're in trouble.
  • cramming 7 passangers in a 4 passenger taxi is really not a big deal.
  • you know never to question what you're eating (even if it does taste good), cuz sometimes you just don't want to know.
  • you invite people for a get together at 7 and they all come at 9.
  • football is played with some sort of ROUND ball and WITHOUT hands.
  • everyone in your country plays soccer.
  • you cram 24 people into a 14 passenger taxi and have never felt closer to your African friends.
  • you make friends with the local shepard and know the goats by name.
  • you spent countless hours shining your shoes when you know very well that by the time you get to the taxi stop, they'll be covered inunbeleivable dirt!
  • you keep converting the value of things in your home currency when you see the pound value.
  • a plane flies by and you just cant help but look up!
  • you have another name in your home language.
  • you hate American corn, because it's never hard enough.
  • you've drunk real chai, not this coffeeshop stuff.
thanks shupiwe

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Friday, November 10, 2006

How sad is this...

Silicon Valley startup Riya, currently a photo search company focusing on facial recognition, is making a significant strategic and product shift this morning. Riya will continue as is, but the company is leveraging the core technology to launch a new image search engine called Like.com.

Like.com is image search. There are lots of other image search engines on the web today. But all of them only take queries as text, and compare those text queries to the meta data attached to an image file. This data is notoriously thin, and companies like Google are resorting to using human labor to attempt to add descriptive keywords to images stored on their servers. Even specialty image search engines like Pixsy have fairly thin meta data for images. And all of the existing search engines allow only text for search queries.

The Like.com engine takes both text and images as queries, something no one else does. To return results based on an image query, Like.com compares a “visual signature” for the query image to possible results. The visual signature is simply a mathematical representatioin of the image using 10,000 variables. If enough variables are identical, Like.com decides the images are similar.

What this means - If you see an image on the web, like a watch that Paris Hilton is wearing in the picture to the left, and use it as an image query, Like.com will return results showing watches that look very similar.

If you enter a text query, like “brown boots pointed toe,” Like.com will convert that query into variables in the visual signature and look for related image results. See screen shot below for the results from this query.

The site launching today returns results only for shoes, jewelry, hand bags and clothing. The service will expand over time to include other categories, but these initial categories represent a very large portion of consumer discretionary spending in the real world. With each result Like.com will also present a link to purchase the item, and their hope is to generate revenue from subsequent purchases.

A key feature that Like.com will be launching in the next month or so is an image uploader and a toolbar. Upload an image to Like.com to see similar results. Or, simply use the toolbar to use any image found on the web as a search query. Either way, Like.com will return results for similar items.

Robert Scoble at Podtech interviewed Riya CEO Munjal Shah on video in preparation for the launch. See the interview here, and a product demo here.


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This might be a good gift for Jonno

Segway x2 for the golf courseIn another sad example of robots taking jobs away from our nation'seager teens, Segway introduced its x2 Golf model. It's really just the$5,500 x2 all-terrain transporter tricked out for the links. From the x2 Golfproduct page:Segwaygolf


* Golf Bag Carrier Attachment secures your golf bag to the Segway x2 Golf and allows for easy dismount and club access while playing. Removes easily for storage and transport

* Scorecard Holder keeps your scorecard, golf balls, and tees readily accessible

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Good news for the Eastern Cape

SA honey beverages strike gold

A honey wine produced at Makana Meadery in Grahamstown banked gold atan international festival in Colorado and is set to turn the EasternCape into the largest honey-producing area in South Africa.

HoneySun African Mead - sweet mead infused with rooibos, honeybush, cinnamonand apple - is one of several value-added products combining Africantraditions with skills training and a top-shelf product.

It collected gold in the speciality category of the 2006 International Mead Festival in Boulder, Colorado.

The six-year-old meadery in Frontier Country is already a worldleader in mead process design and holds a patent on its continuousfermentation process.

link

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Friday, November 03, 2006

Google: organising the world's information

Craig Silverstein spoke at UNC’s medical library on October 30th.

This makes some very interesting listening and watching.

Craig Silverstein 1: intro + how Google began
In part one he introduces himself and discusses Google’s origins.



Craig Silverstein 2: Google’s Begins + Google Book Search
In part 2 here Craig continues to discuss how Google started and then introduces Google Book search. He’s presenting to librarians afterall.



Craig Silverstein 3: Google Books + Google Scholar
In part 3 he finishes explaining how Google Books can’t actually achieve its goal of digitizing all books and then introduces Google Scholar to the audience.



Craig Silverstein 4: Mobile Search + Google Co-op
In part four Craig digs into the future of the web, which Google sees as mobile, and Google Co-op as a future of enabling search results to get smarter.



Craig Silverstein 5: the Page Anecdote + Closing
In part 5 he recounts Larry Page’s favorite early Google anecdote and the bids everyone farewell.

Christian Parody of Mac v PC video clips

I really enjoyed these...

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Wednesday, November 01, 2006

A era passes!

'Groot Krokodil' PW Botha dies
PW Botha, South Africa's last true white-minority president and ruler of an increasingly repressive and violent state in the final years of apartheid, died at his home near the town of George on Tuesday night. He was 90 years old.

Tuesday, October 31, 2006

Exciting Chemisty lessons!

The Observer runs an article about a Chemistry techer, Neil Dixon, who runs exciting & practical lessons in the classroom. Imagine the Risk Assessment he must have had to complete before doing these.

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Sunday, October 29, 2006

I am trying FLOCK

Flock: The web browser for you and your friends.
This is my post from FLOCK - it appears pretty impressive! link

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Watch your back - if you live in the UK

"British people are now more spied upon by their political leaders than any other population in the free world, according to an official report.

The linkage of databases and surveillance systems mean people are now having their movements tracked, habits profiled and photograph taken hundreds of times a day. The findings, in a report compiled on behalf of Richard Thomas, the information commissioner, raised concerns that Britain is “waking up in a surveillance society”."

This is from The Times

And They Say Classrooms are for Learning?

I relate a story by Clarence Fisher which demonstrates the ability of kids to learn using the tools offered by the internet! One of her pupils related the following...

"I was on MSN and someone from China popped up, but they were typing in Chinese and I didn't get it. So I went online and found an Chinese to English translator and copied and pasted their posts into it and I figured out what they were saying. Then I wrote what I wanted to say, got it translated into Chinese and then pasted it into MSN. It was a pretty cool night."

Wow! There are so many lessons about connected kids, a world which is becoming more connected as I type, new online free technologies and the changing role of teachers!

Saturday, October 28, 2006

Prague was awesome!

What a wonderful time away! I would recommend visting Prague to anyone (unless you are a vegetarian - we only ate meat dishes.) Check out our pictures on www.schonken.com.

Tuesday, October 24, 2006

And we are off!

Now that we have our "little red books", we have booked a couple of nights in Prague. The flight leaves at 16:50 this evening.

Monday, October 23, 2006

Well done Kelly!

It was not long ago that I was congratulating Kelly on his 7th World Title (link), but here he goes again! The Greatest Surfer of all time? Probably!

SA takes 3rd in ISA World Surfing Games


Well done chaps and girls.

The final results were as follows...
Oz take gold as Team Champions, but Jordy Smith & Mathew Moir take individual gold for SA. Rosy Hodge and the SA Tag Team take individual bronze.

http://www.isasurf.org/

Nice!

OU offers free learning materials

The Open University is making its educational resources available free on the net for anyone in the world to use.

It aims to make 5,000 hours' worth of material available by April 2008 - not only for learners, but for educators to adapt and use for their own purposes. - link bbc news

Sunday, October 22, 2006

A beautiful prayer!

a prayer planned for the end of communion...

maybe in this there has been a glimpse of the kingdom
a foretaste
a hint
a promise
let it hold you and let it send you
so you will never be at peace
until all are fed
until all know home
until all are free
until justice is done
until peace is the way
until grace is the law
until love is the rule
until God’s realm comes
until God’s realm comes
until God’s realm comes…

Amen.

~ Cheryl Lawrie

Thursday, October 19, 2006

I know it has been a long time!

Things have been rather busy here, but here are a few cool links to keep you busy!






have fun - I will post soon!

Sunday, September 17, 2006

the most dangerous professional team sport in the world

Any guesses? Ice Hockey? Grid Iron Football? Soccer? No! According to The Telegraph Rugby union is the most dangerous professional team sport in the world. Check out the report here - link.

Thursday, August 31, 2006

Going ahead?

It looks like this is going ahead - woohoo! It should drive the price of our land up again!

Links - Chintsa River Golfing Estate & Daily Dispatch

If you did not know...

South Africa's national symbols

What's that image that appears on your birth certificate, passport and one cent coin? What does
!ke e: /xarra //ke mean? (Whose language is that?) What do the springbok, blue crane, galjoen, giant protea and real yellowwood have in common?

Here's a quick guide to the national symbols of South Africa, from the anthem, flag, coat of arms and national orders to the animals and plants the country holds dear.

South Africa's national anthem National anthem
South Africa's national anthem of is a combined version of Nkosi Sikelel' iAfrika and Die Stem van Suid-Afrika (The Call of South Africa in English). The words of Die Stem were written by CJ Langenhoven in 1918, and the music composed by the Reverend ML de Villiers in 1921. Nkosi Sikelel' iAfrika was composed in 1897 by Enoch Sontonga, a Methodist mission school teacher.

South Africa's national flag National flag
The national flag of the Republic of South Africa was adopted on Freedom Day, 27 April 1994, and first flown 10 May 1994 - the day Nelson Mandela was inaugurated as president.

The central design of the flag, beginning at the flag-pole in a V form and flowing into a single horizontal band to the outer edge of the fly, can be interpreted as the convergence of diverse elements within South African society, taking the road ahead in unity.

South Africa's national coat of arms National coat of arms
South Africa's coat of arms, or state emblem, is the highest visual symbol of the state. Its central image is a secretary bird with uplifted wings, a sun rising above it. Below the bird is the protea, an indigenous South African flower, representing the aesthetic harmony of all cultures and the country flowering as a nation.

The ears of wheat are emblems of the fertility of the land, while the tusks of the African elephant symbolise wisdom, steadfastness and strength.

At the centre stands a shield signifying the protection of South Africans, above which are a spear and knobkierie. These assert the defence of peace rather than a posture of war.

Within the shield are images of the Khoisan people, the first inhabitants of the land. The figures are derived from images on the Linton Stone, a world-famous example of South African rock art. The motto of the coat of arms - !ke e:/xarra//ke - is in the Khoisan language of the /Xam people, and means "diverse people unite", or "people who are different joining together".

South Africa's national orders National orders
National orders are the highest awards that a country, through its President, bestows on its citizens and eminent foreign nationals. The President as the fount (holder, cradle, main source) of honour in the country bestows these orders and decorations and is assisted by the director-general in the Presidency, who is the chancellor of national orders.
  • The Order of Mapungubwe is awarded for excellence and exceptional achievement.
  • The Order of the Baobab is awarded for distinguished service in business and the economy; science, medicine, technological innovation; and community service.
  • The Order of the Companions of OR Tambo is awarded to heads of state and other dignitaries for promoting peace, cooperation and friendship towards South Africa.
  • The Order of Luthuli is awarded to South Africans who have made a meaningful contribution to the struggle for democracy, human rights, nation-building, justice and peace, and conflict resolution.
  • The Order of Ikhamanga is awarded for excellence in arts, culture, literature, music, journalism and sport.
  • The Order of the Mendi Decoration for Bravery is awarded to South African citizens who have performed extraordinary acts of bravery.
South Africa's national animal National animal
The country's national animal is the springbok, which also gives its name to the South African rugby team - fondly (and sometimes not so fondly) known as the Boks.

The springbok (Antidorcas marsupialis) gets its common name from its characteristic jumping display - pronk in Afrikaans. The animal stands 75cm high and weigh about 40kg.

Both sexes have horns, but those of the ram are thicker and rougher. The species has adapted to dry, barren areas and open grass plains, and so is found in the Free State, North West and Karoo up to the west coast. They move in small herds during winter, but often crowd together in bigger herds in summer.

South Africa's national bird National bird
The national bird of South Africa is the blue crane (Anthropoides paradisia), the distribution of which is almost entirely restricted to the country. Standing about a metre tall, the bird is a light blue-grey, with a long neck supporting a rather bulbous head, long legs and elegant wing plumes which sweep to the ground.

Blue cranes lay their eggs in the bare veld, often close to water. They are common in the Karoo, but are also seen in the grasslands of KwaZulu-Natal and the highveld, usually in pairs or small family parties. Although usually quiet, the blue crane can emit a distinctive high-pitched and rattling croak which can be heard from some distance.

South Africa's national flower National flower
The giant or king protea (Protea cynaroides) is widely distributed in the south-western and southern areas of the Western Cape, from the Cedarberg up to just east of Grahamstown. South Africa's national flower is the largest of the proteas, which make up an important part of the Cape Floral Region, a major global biodiversity hotspot and a Unesco World Heritage site. The proteas also give their name to South Africa's national cricket team.

South Africa's national  fish National fish
South Africa's national fish is the galjoen (Coracinus capensis), which is only found along the South African coast. It keeps to mostly shallow water, often found in rough surf and sometimes right next to the shore, and is known to every angler as a game fighter. Near rocks, the colour of the galjoen is almost completely black, while in sandy areas the colour is silver-bronze.

South Africa's national tree National tree
The yellowwood family is ancient, having grown in this part of Africa for over 100-million years. The real yellowwood (Podocarpus latifolius), South Africa's national tree, is found from Table Mountain, along the southern and eastern Cape coast, in the ravines of the Drakensberg up to the Soutpansberg and the Blouberg in Limpopo.

In forests, the trees can grow up to 40m in height with the base of the trunk sometimes up to 3m in diameter. But trees that grow in unsheltered places such as mountain slopes are often short, bushy and gnarled. The bark of the real yellowwood is khaki-coloured to grey when it is old, deeply split and peels off in strips. The crown is relatively small in relation to its height and is often covered with grey lichen.

Tuesday, August 29, 2006

Apple & Google v Microsoft? The battle of the future?

"In a move that could lead to some fascinating collaboration, Apple just announced that Google CEO Eric Schmidt has joined its board of directors. As the battle heats up between Google and Microsoft for online services and between Apple and Microsoft for media (not to mention computing) this is a big move. Schmidt is now the eighth member of the Apple board.

Google just unveiled its first formal move towards an online office suite Sunday night. Everyone is watching to see how Apple will bring new media content online through iTunes and the company already dominates the portable media market. Could close collaboration between online giant Google and Apple hardware pose the most viable threat yet to Microsoft’s long held personal computing leadership? It certainly seems possible. Google alone is frightening enough for Microsoft. One way or the other, this could mean exciting things in the future."

This makes for very interesting reading and predictions about the future of computing.

Friday, August 25, 2006

How life has changed?

The link is to an article tabling how life has changed since the author left library school in 1988. There are some interesting predictions for the future of learning and research. (link)

This is broken

Seth Godin at Gel 2006
http://www.gelconference.com
http://www.sethgodin.com

Saturday, August 19, 2006

If Jongilanga was Web 2.0


This is probably what the logo would look like thanks to Web2.0 Logo Creator

Thursday, August 17, 2006

I like this one...

Try to learn something about everything and everything about something. --Thomas H. Huxley

Surfing booms in UK, are surf-related lawsuits to follow?

An interesting article in The Time (online) about the possibility of lawsuits ensuing from clashes on the overcrowded surfing spots in the UK (like Fistral Beach (right)

Monday, August 14, 2006

Windows Live Writer (Beta)

I downloaded this little application and am writing my first test. I will need to test in before using it more, but so far it isn't too bad! 

Wow!

Thailand plans 1 free laptop per child

BANGKOK, Thailand - Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra has announced that an ambitious project to provide low-cost laptop computers to all of Thailand's millions of elementary school students will begin in October.

link

Sunday, August 13, 2006

Is it a crime?

I was emailed this during the course of last week. Any comments?

a festival to remember

We returned from the Edinburgh festival unscathed. Loved the whole experience and would recommend it to everyone. Having young kids around does, however, change your perspective. We did alot of street watching (i.e. sitting around buskers), which the kids loved and ended taking them to scotty & lulu. If you have a 1 year old and a 4 year old, they will love it, but otherwise give it a skip. Can't wait until the kids are older and we will return.

Sunday, August 06, 2006

Off for the week...


We are off the Edinburgh to stay with my Aunt for a couple of nights. Should be very good and hoping the weather will play ball for a lot of outdoor activities and theatre. I will catch up again at the end of the week.

Missed the first one!

The BBC are showing a new series about the Miracles of Jesus. I missed the first episode, but hopefully someone from church recorded it or the BBC will make it available for download soon. Note to self: watch next weekend. This is what it is about...


"The Bible says Jesus fed a crowd of 5000 with a few loaves and fishes, stilled a storm with a word, healed the sick and lame, walked on water, turned water into wine and brought the dead back to life.

This new series uses drama, special photography and computer generated images to bring the miracles of Jesus to life, whilst Rageh Omaar is our guide in Israel as he tries to decipher the meaning of the miracles of Jesus."

Wednesday, August 02, 2006

For my next birthday please!

Transparent Canoe-Kayak
"This kayak-canoe hybrid has a transparent polymer hull that offers paddlers an underwater vista of aquatic wildlife and waterscapes unavailable in conventional boats. Seating two people, the sturdy canoe hull is made of the same durable material found in the cockpit canopies of supersonic fighter jets. Easy to maneuver, the wide canoe displaces a greater amount of water for more surface stability, and the paddlers sit lower to the deck, resulting in better balance. Adjustable seats allow paddlers of different heights to personalize their leg room. With a lightweight anodized aluminum frame, it can be easily stored or transported to and from the water. Includes two double-headed paddles, a water bailer, and two flotation devices."

This is a must! So please please please it is only $1,500 plus P&P. Benjamin & Anna would love it! - link

Monday, July 31, 2006

Online results

Another good development!

"Students are to get their exam results and see their marked paper online via a secure internet site. Exam board Edexcel will pilot the scheme with a small number of A-level students and GCSE maths candidates. All will be able to get results online - the GCSE students will also be able to view their marked paper, with scores for each question."

link

Will this work?

There is a plan the prevent cheating on Coursework. Only do it at school! Wonder how this will work? From the BBC - link

"GCSE pupils should not take coursework home as part of efforts to stamp out cheating, the exams watchdog for England has advised.

The Qualifications and Curriculum Authority warns that copying from the internet and help from parents is "a threat to the fairness" of GCSEs.

Ensuring more work is done at school rather than at home will also reduce the burden on students, it adds.

The government is expected to comment on the proposals later in the year."

What happens when you download music illegally?

Friday, July 28, 2006

You have to love Koos!

Koos has such a positive outlook on things in SA - link

Thursday, July 20, 2006

For the bother-in-law...

© Jongilanga
Maira Gall