Blogs & Ecology

Duration: 15 min 49 sec

The challenge they set speakers at the Business Innovation Factory (BIF) is to tell a story, specifically a personal story. Not your standard spiel. Not your normal pitch. So here’s my narrative. It combines Greek myth and a little Diana Ross to talk about the need for R&D and business development for poverty alleviation. It’s from the heart. It’s how we hope our work can impact the world.

If you like what you see in the vid, please pass on the link to friends/reblog this post/stumble it/etc. We need all the help we can get.

The Kaibiles are soldiers in the Guatemalan Army that undergo a specialized, yet controversial training at a school in the northern part of the country, nicknamed “Hell”. Many Guatemalans reject the abusive training that the Kabiles receive, which some say, closely resembles self-inflicted torture.

Once upon a time, there were a convent in Antigua, Guatemala, where the nuns had been celebrating the All Saints Day, around the 16th of the month, and they had an uninvited, but important visitor. They were really nervous because they did not have enough food to make a proper dinner for the priest, so they used their creativity instead. They collected and remixed all the leftovers from previous meals, from slices of cheese to potatoes. As a result, the Guatemalan Fiambre was born and the priest was delighted! Nowadays, it is a celebration for the entire family that begins on the night of October 31.

This week in El Salvador, hundreds of technology fanatics have assembled in the capital of San Salvador to take part in the latest edition of Campus Party. The event gathers participants “with their computers with the goal of share their worries, exchange experiences and take part in all types of activities related to communication and new technologies.

Foto by Mesas de Diálogo.

The past month has been very difficult for many Guatemalans. During tropical storms, heavy rains and flooding, a lack of public policies aimed at preventing tragedies resulted in even more damage, as agricultural crops have been ruined, houses completely destroyed and people have even been buried alive because of landslides.

The home appliances division of Bosch and Siemens [BSH Bosch und Siemens Hausgeräte GmbH] have developed a very interesting plant oil stove that they call PROTOS.

In their second generation prototype, they have managed to increase efficiency as well as reduce noise, cleaning time and the cost of production compared to the initial version developed by researchers at the University of Hohenheim. The protos team is now prepping for large-scale production.

Humdinger Windbelt - Remix from Popular Mechanics site

Stop Corruption by Kenny Miller

After hiding from Justice for four years in Mexico, former President Alfonso Portillo was extradited to Guatemala, where he will face serious charges of corruption and other felonies.

Full Moon by Irargerich The mythology in Latin America is quite rich: some tales have been passed onto us from the Incas, Mayas or Aztecs, and others are colonial imports from Europe. On this first part of the multinational Latin American post, we'll visit some of the most popular myths and legends like the Llorona, the Cegua, the Cadejos and the Evil Light.

Don Prudencio Lopez passed away August 23rd 2008 after a long bout of illness.

If you’ve ever had the pleasure of welding either as an beginner, artisan or expert, you know its more an art than a science to manipulate the rod and puddle just right, to not burn through the metal, to create that perfect bead that will hold strength. Don Prudencio Lopez was a master craftsman who as Pete would say enviously, “made some beautiful welds”.

Duration: 8 min 48 sec

2 boards from XelaTeco made with pretty much the same method. Photo by Xeni Jardin

via Hack a Day

Photo credit: AIDG

We were interested to read that Guatemala is the test site for three of the 10 Everyday Technologies That Can Change the World in the online edition of DISCOVER magazine.

The three technologies being piloted in Guatemala are:
1) A micro-hydroelectric power generator

UCB Batch Solar Water Heater install at Papa Carlos & Mama Coney’s in Guatemala

10 Everyday Technologies That Can Change the World [Discover]
Who knew that providing energy and water for all could be a matter of foot cranks and dirt power?
by Karen Rowan; extra reporting by Andrew Grant

Javier Aroche invites Guatemalan bloggers to gather at Pizza and Blogs 2008 [es] on August 30.