living on the same planet but in a other world. Guatemala has one of the highest murder rates in the world - 52 homicides per 100,000 inhabitants. In October, gang members fired 34 times at the attorney general's office, killing a 14-year-old boy. Guatemala suffered a long civil war that ended in 1996. Today violence is more criminal than ideological. Bus companies now employ guards like this man to deter attacks on drivers. More than 500 drivers have been killed in the last three years. The killings have been blamed on street gangs involved in extortion and intimidation. But the gangs themselves often subcontract the violence. This teenage girl confessed to being paid some $25 to shoot a driver. Daily violence has become routine. Ignoring the body of a secondary school student shot for refusing to hand over her mobile, youngsters play in the street. The murder happened in the Zona 18, one of the most violent districts in the capital.
A nice excuse to take a long walk outside, play scrabble at the candle lights with your family or eat a fondue with a good bottle of wine and your love one.
Don't look for me tomorrow night, the Volkuro's blog will be unplugged!
Don't worry, I'm ok. It didn't hurt. It didn't get me into trouble and it didn't change my life either.
I have simply putted my eye on the eyepiece of the telescope and I saw Jupiter with its 4 moons and Bang! It happened: A Galileo moment.
Ok now, let me put you in context. Last Saturday, Dalexia and I went to Mt. Tremblant to see the annual Perseid meteor shower.(Dalexia and I... Yes I know, I have announced lately that we had break-up but because of a little French cartoon posted one year ago about a little dog who made a wish to see the Perseids on the top of the mountain, I have contacted Dalexia and asked her if she would come to a friendly outdoor evening and she has accepted.)
Every year, the Mt. Tremblant ski resort organize an evening at top of the mountain to watch the shooting stars in the particularly dark sky of the region. What we didn't know though, is that those evenings were very well organized.
First, the set up. After making the 12 minutes ascension in the gondolas we arrived at the top of the mountain where their were many amateur astronomer with their telescopes ready to share their knowledge and willing to show you different curiosity of the stellar dome. The red projectors used to light up the site without disturbing the perfect observation conditions also create a pleasant environment. After spreading a sheet on the grass and wait for the sky to darken, the presentation began with a handy laser pointer showing us what there was to see up there. On a giant screen there was photos explaining different astronomical phenomenon. And an expert from the Canadian Space Agency started to explain us many interesting facts about space and the upcoming spatial missions.
We have seen artificial satellites cruising in the sky, of course a few shooting stars and through the available telescopes, star clusters and Jupiter with four of her 63 moons. All those observations were Galileo moments.
2009 is the international year of astronomy and to encourage people to get interesting in the sky and stars, they have printed, world wide, cards with astronomical facts on it and when you go to an organized astronomical event, you live a Galileo moment and they give you a card. On those cards, there are a number which you can use to register your name on a web site. And what happens next is the most interesting part. Each name register on the site will be record on a micro chip that will be placed in a space probe that will be launched in space. So yours truly, Volkuro, will travel in the milky way, in the form of a visit card with his name written on!
My Opera
Guatemala has one of the highest murder rates in the world - 52 homicides per 100,000 inhabitants. In October, gang members fired 34 times at the attorney general's office, killing a 14-year-old boy.
Guatemala suffered a long civil war that ended in 1996. Today violence is more criminal than ideological. Bus companies now employ guards like this man to deter attacks on drivers. More than 500 drivers have been killed in the last three years.
The killings have been blamed on street gangs involved in extortion and intimidation. But the gangs themselves often subcontract the violence. This teenage girl confessed to being paid some $25 to shoot a driver.
Daily violence has become routine. Ignoring the body of a secondary school student shot for refusing to hand over her mobile, youngsters play in the street. The murder happened in the Zona 18, one of the most violent districts in the capital. 
