| Gaelic: Dying or on the brink of renaissance?
THE majority of Scots may not speak the language but, in future, Gaelic will increasingly be on the lips of people in all walks of life. Yesterday saw the launch of a national plan for the language, setting out a "roadmap" for government, councils and public bodies, as well as the private and voluntary sectors, on how it should be developed. .
Japanese Inventor: Technology, Africa’s Savior
Top Japanese inventor Professor Yasuyuki Fujimura who visited Zimbabwe recently believes innovation can help African countries accelerate their rate of economic growth. His passion today is to help find solutions using simple technology to answer to the numerous problems facing people in the developing world. Dr. Fujimura came to Zimbabwe together with Eng Satoh Yohji, a consultant, Ichiro Wachi of the Tokyo International Language and Technology Center and Jeffrey Ng of the Microware Systems based in Singapore to help find ways of supporting the country's IT system in disadvantaged schools. Fujimura and the Minister of Science and Technology Development Dr. Olivia Muchena visited schools and communities in Mutoko. The visit gave Fujimura a lot of insight into the challenges facing rural people when it came to accessing portable water and computers particularly in schools.
TELEVIEWS / Fruitless search for balanced entertainment
Too silly, too serious, too mangalike, too violent. It is often hard to find a Japanese series that passes the balanced entertainment test. I had great hopes that the new Yuji Oda offering Jodan Janai (TBS network, Sundays, 9 p.m.) would ace the test this spring season. It's a romantic comedy about a fashionable 40-ish guy, Keita Takamura (Oda), who marries a woman 20 years his junior only to discover her mother, Rie, is the older woman he dated in college. Still, his in-laws live on a vineyard in France. As Takamura is a research engineer in Tokyo, he figures he can keep the past a secret. Back in Tokyo, there is no honeymoon waiting. His new neighbor turns out to be an old college pal who remembers Rie and she suddenly shows up and decides to move in with the newlyweds.
Square unleashes flood of 'non-games' on DS
The latest issue of Japan's Famitsu has uncovered Square Enix's surprising move into "pratical" DS software, including travel guides, yoga lessons and even flower blooming.No doubt trying to tap the success of Nintendo's own non-game Dr. Kawashima's Brain Training, the firm will unleash DS Yoga Lessons You Can Start Today, Why Not Listen To Classical Music On DS? and Flower-Blooming DS Gardening Lite on the handheld market. The company is also planning a series of DS software based on the popular Japanese travel guide World Walking, including stylus-fuelled guides for Italy, Hawaii and New York. Any chance we can get one for Sidcup, Square? .
Letter: Iraqi war taking heavy toll in lost lives, money
Right now, one of the biggest issues is the debate about whether we should set a deadline for the war. The Congress and the White House are completely opposed to each other about the war, each one stating they have the public behind them and their decisions.Civil disputes in the country are at an all-time high, between Democrats and Republicans. Families and friends are torn between having different opinions about whether to continue this war.There is a lot of pointing fingers. President Bush called the Congress irresponsible for going on spring break without approving money for the Iraq war with no strings. Bush commented, "They need to come off their vacation, get a bill to my desk, and if it’s got strings, mandates, withdrawals, and pork, I’ll veto it." The largest "pork" item the Congress is proposing (which costs less than one-tenth of what the new war proposal is $96 billion) is $6.7 billion for Gulf Coast Hurricane Recovery.A top forecaster, William Gray, predicted up to 17 hurricanes could hit the U.S.
60 Indian techies make it to Google's Summer of Code
Bangalore, April 23 (IANS) Sixty Indian youngsters have bagged selections at the prestigious Google Summer of Code competition, early reports indicated. The Google Summer of Code is an annual programme, first held in 2005, in which the Internet-search and online advertising giant based in Mountain View, California, awards cash prizes to students who successfully complete a free software or open-source coding project. "This time there are 60 Indians (accepted among the over 900 students who made it from a pool of nearly 6,200 applications)," said sources following the event closely. Indian names are visible all over the emerging lists. Last year too, the Google Summer of Code had mentors from India, such as the lawyer-turned-software guru Kenneth Gonsalves and Anand Avati.
English lessons help sweeten winery experience
On Tuesday and Thursday afternoons, South Coast Winery Resort & Spa's banquet room turns into a classroom. A dry erase board is in the center of the room. Backpacks, worksheets listing two-part verbs and Spanish-English dictionaries sit on tables. An empty oak barrel rests in the corner. For the past six months, the Temecula Valley winery has contracted with the Temecula-based California School of English to teach its Spanish-speaking employees English. .
Join the Celebration at the Conscious Living Fair
The biggest attraction of the fair is the 180 exhibitors who have come to Pasadena from across the nation. Strolling through the fair, you can sample organic foods and beverages, learn about the latest in holistic health care, shop for jewelry, clothing and yoga accessories, get a massage, or have your palm read. Choose from more than 60 lectures and workshops presented continually in four rooms and a theatre. Among the featured speakers are Barbara Marx Hubbard, famed futurist and president of the Foundation for Conscious Evolution, and Noah Levine, the well-known Buddhist teacher and author of the best seller Dharma Punx. You can also enjoy great entertainment including performances by popular jazz guitarist Dirk K, inspirational guitarist Mark Romero, Judeen and Her Yeni Dunia Belly Dancers, and Holistic Hooping giving their exciting fire dance with LED-lit hoops on a darkened stage.
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