Johnuncle's Blog

Behave when things don’t go your way

johnuncle — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 10:36:39 +0000

Thinking of throwing a tantrum the next time things don’t go your way when you travel? Consider what happened to Gary Zeune before you do.

“Dammit!” he overheard the passenger in front of him scream at a Southwest Airlines ticket agent in Columbus, Ohio, “I have to get to Chicago!”
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Open source software in education

johnuncle — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 10:27:11 +0000

The Kerala government has adopted free and open source software (FOSS) for the state education department and for e-governance.

The curriculum department Saturday has also recommended extension of FOSS to higher secondary schools.
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Canada’s secret slopes

johnuncle — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 10:25:48 +0000

All Olympic eyes will be on Whistler Blackcomb next year as it hosts the 2010 Winter Games’ alpine skiing events. But those in the know will be heading to British Columbia’s vast, snowy interior for its cool old-school mountain towns and the best powder and terrain in North America.
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Not your average Hong Kong candy store

johnuncle — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 10:23:06 +0000

A visit to Vero Chocolate Lounge can make you feel more discerning than the most tasteful of tai tais.

It isn’t just that the place smells of a combination of top-grade cocoa and self-indulgence, but also because guests are encouraged to really enjoy their chocolates at the shop.

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Napa Valley’s top secrets

johnuncle — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 10:19:16 +0000

You don’t need us to tell you that Napa Valley is a nice place to visit. What you do need is a way to lose the masses.
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Atlantis set to launch Monday

johnuncle — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 10:43:54 +0000

The Space Shuttle Atlantis is scheduled to blast off from Florida on Monday afternoon to haul key spare parts to prolong the life of the International Space Station.
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Winter comes to Kashmir

johnuncle — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 10:34:53 +0000

Woollen clothes are out of the trunk, new ‘pheren’ robes are being ordered and, in the absence of consistent power supply, charcoal is being stored for earthen firepots – clear signs that winter has arrived in the Kashmir Valley.

Fresh snowfall in the mountains and incessant rain have made the temperature dip sharply, making the locals reach for their woollen clothes.
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In pursuit of the past

johnuncle — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 10:33:45 +0000

Ancestor-worship may not be one of the religious themes examined in historical/travel writer William Dalrymple’s new book “Nine Lives” (which he was in Chennai to promote), but the intermingling of faiths, beliefs and histories certainly is. Rather appropriate, then, to troop along with the author on his visit to the Anglo-Mughal monument in Chennai that commemorates his ancestor Sam Dalrymple — a concrete testament to intermingling, and not the least, of Dalrymple’s Scottish history with that of India.
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Rare iceberg spotted off island south of Australia

johnuncle — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 10:28:52 +0000

A large iceberg was spotted off an island about halfway between Antarctica and Australia, a rare sight in waters so far north, Australian scientists said on Thursday.

Australian Antarctic Division researchers working on Macquarie Island, about 1,500 kilometres southeast of Tasmania, first saw the iceberg last Thursday about 8 kilometres off the northwest coast of the island.
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The golden wonderland

johnuncle — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 10:22:47 +0000

The moment the name Bangkok is uttered, most minds are gripped with the thought of a high-energy bustling city that offers some of the best hotels in the world, endless shopping opportunities, exotic food, go-go bars to indulge, three-wheeler tuk tuks to move around and horrendous traffic jams.
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