Activating Windows XP after support has ended

So, although I am a Linux-user (since CrunchBang is no longer supported, I switched to BunsenLabs), from time to time I have to do some testing on a Windows-system.

The only OS that I have a genuine installation from, is a Windows XP CD that I once found lying next to a discarded desktop. The installation still works perfectly, the product key is all there, but as well know: Windows XP is no longer supported and after 30 days, you need to activate the copy by internet or phone (which is no longer possible).

Still, there is a solution:

Qt MySQL Driver

Next step in the project: get a databaseconnection to store / retrieve the data. Didn't go as smoothly as planned. The following short post is simply a reminder for future reference. Comments are welcome!

Qt in Windows Vista, MinGW and QJson (qt-google-maps)

I am having quite a rough week. For a project I am using the Google Maps API within C++-code. As I prefer to use a Linux environment but usually my clients use Windows, I have become a big fan of the Qt framework.

Eetbare graffiti

Vandaag hebben de Jong Socialisten plantjes losgelaten in het centrum van Leuven, dit om aandacht te vragen voor meer (eetbaar) groen in de stad. Vooral veel jonge radijsplantjes, courgettes, tomaat en braamstruiken werden aan voorbijgangers aangereikt en op openbare plaatsen gezet. Hierbij wordt iedereen uitgenodigd om plantjes mee naar huis te nemen en ze te laten groeien zodat men van de oogst kan genieten.

Ron Finley: A guerilla gardener in South Central LA

HELLO Europe!

This could be very interesting!


News:

• Ontmoet Europa met "Hello Europe" (deredactie.be)

Volgens de Vlaamse Regering heeft Ford Genk contractbreuk gepleegd

• De Standaard
• De Morgen

Zondag 11 november: Mars voor de Toekomst

11 november: Mars voor de Toekomst

Wij zijn allen Ford

Voor Leuven en omstreken: vertrek met het solidariteitscomité om 10u45 aan het station in Leuven.

Meer info: 0494 78 63 45

Meer info:

• 11/11 Mars voor de Toekomst
• Leuvens solidariteitscomité voor Ford Genk

"Les Glaneurs et La Glaneuse" in Leuven

The "Young Socialists" in Leuven will screen the French documentary "Les Glaneurs et La Glaneuse" on Thursday the 18th of October at 9pm in residence "Camilo Torres", block K, Brusselsestraat 165. After the screening, there will be a short discussion on our current consumption behaviour and the way that food and waste is treated in our modern times.

Asempa Lodge has a new website!

new website for Asempa Lodge, Tamale

Civil disobedience through election

Mayor Stubbs (picture by AP)

As the Belgian provincial and municipal elections (14th of October) and those for the United States presidency (6th of November) are drawing near, I see more and more articles in the news about joke political parties and unusual election results.

I would like to call this a way of "civil disobedience through election" and find it a very interesting trend. Is this a social signal of a growing mistrust of the more conventional parties or criticism towards the current political system in general?

Liberalization of Trade and the Right to Food

“National efforts will often remain of limited impact in combating malnutrition and food insecurity unless the international environment, including not only development assistance and cooperation but also trade and investment regimes or efforts to address climate change at a global level, facilitates and rewards these national efforts."

-- Prof. Olivier De Schutter

Full document, including case study on Brazil: PDF

Free Trade to Feed the World

The liberalization of the international markets is sold to the world population as a remedy for all the world’s problems and the yellow brick road to global development. In the case of food supply: the idea that agricultural commodities can simply travel from food-surplus regions to food-deficit regions seems, at a first glance, to be the ideal solution to world hunger. If a country does not have sufficient stock, they can buy it from those that have produced too much.

Unfortunately, the global food price crises of 2008 and of 2010-11 have already illustrated the global imbalance. Before trade can contribute to the realization of the right to adequate food, a wide range of measures must be adopted [De Schutter]. In the world today, there are about one billion people facing food insecurity. About half of them are actually growing food themselves as small-scale independent farmers. In the other half there is a large part (estimated to be two hundred million people) of waged workers, employed on large plantations, who are not sufficiently well-paid to feed themselves in dignity (source).

The illusion of choice

source: reddit

Roses on my table (by Ethan Silverstein)

An inspiring video on the impact of a community within your neighborhood, be they anarchists or what not: Roses On My Table from Ethan Silverstein.

"Shop till it stops!"

Taken from Brand Aid

The following article is an extended reading list following the seminar "Consumer-behavior and funds to fight AIDS in Africa":

• about the book 'Brand Aid: Shopping Well to Save the World' by Lisa Ann Richey and Stefano Ponte
• presentation of the lecture: PDF
• lecture notes, review of the book 'Brand Aid': PDF
• Daniel Ben-Ami on the 'American Express RED' card (Spiked)
• Official website of RED: Designed to help eliminate AIDS

Kony 2012 - criticism

picture taken from ICLB

How the short film 'Kony 2012' brings media attention to the use of child soldiers but completely misses the point by oversimplifying the local political situation and proposing US military intervention as a solution:

Time Bank Belgium

Recently, a time bank has opened in Belgium. What is a time bank? Time banking is a tool by which people can exchange their time and skills instead of buying goods or services as in a conventional market system. Time banking is a way of creating an alternative economic model. (more)

Wikipedia describes time banking as "a pattern of reciprocal service exchange that uses units of time as currency. It is an example of an alternative monetary system.".

As we all understand, 'money' is purely abstract and the currency that we use (euro, dollar, ...) is actually nothing more than a convention, an agreement to use that certain type of denomination. In theory there is no reason to limit our economy to only the standard currency, and we could be free to use anything we want.

Awareness

Last night an old colleague of mine asked me whether I had some more information or knew any organisations concerning social welfare.

I sat down and compiled quite an extensive list of books, blogs, domestic and global movements, documentaries, ... .

In case more people are interested (or want to point out new media to me), the list can be found on the page I added for this purpose: Awareness.

How to stay sane while using "sane": Scanning and printing under CrunchBang

sources: redchess
and Larry Ewing

Well, now that I am back in Belgium I bought myself a second hand Thinkpad X61 from Pro Used Computers, and of course installed good old CrunchBang Statler on it.

Today I am installing the multifunction Canon Pixma MP510 on my little machine, simply because I need some scanning to be done.

For all the other Debian-lovers out there, may be a quick overview on how to install the print and scan functions for easy use:

Back to Belgium!

Picture taken from Wikipedia

Well, the two years in Ghana to build and start up my own lodge are now over. As my project here is now finished, I will move back to Belgium. Tonight is my flight, but I am a bit nervous about 're-integrating' into my original culture. I will have to find a job and a new purpose in life. You can follow my quest at a new blog: Back to Belgium.