http://www.plime.com/plime/Born in Johannesburg, South Africa, of Dutch parents.Schooling and most of my studies there.Worked in South Africa, Ghana, the Netherlands, Ghana again, now back again consulting from the Netherlands. Originally trained as a geologist, now involved in mining environmental management on a policy level, advising a government agency.Happily married, 3 great guys for sons, one of whom brought me into contact with plime!My website, with some irregular blogging and a photo gallery: www.ronaldsmit.comen-ushttp://www.plime.com/plime/http://www.plime.com/science/l/79070/1/No, it's not my blog, it was posted in a newspaper I receive.]]>http://www.plime.com/plime-com/l/60756/1/ forum thread of news from Ghana.
(<- This picture does not show the lady in question, by the way.)]]>http://www.plime.com/world/l/60571/1/ this story posted earlier.

(Image not from this actual wreck.)]]>http://www.plime.com/science/l/59652/1/... a gift from the gods?]]>http://www.plime.com/world/l/58908/1/ here , I've looked around gapminder.org to find this video (one year younger) with even more animated and fun graphics, and with even better presentation by Rosling. Keep looking until the end, when the seemingly impossible becomes possible.
There is hope for the world when there are passionate people like this around...]]>http://www.plime.com/science/l/58538/1/... or so says an Assyrian clay tablet, apparently.

<--- this picture is not of the actual event, btw.]]>http://www.plime.com/plime-com/l/58156/1/(I can't believe that I couldn't find this on plime already, searched under "beer", "tax", etc., but no success.)]]>http://www.plime.com/technology/l/57895/1/The Economist.]]>http://www.plime.com/science/l/57888/1/Good one from The Economist, yesterday.]]>http://www.plime.com/science/l/56997/1/Interesting article in The Economist.
<-- This picture is NOT of a black hole, as you might have guessed, but I couldn't find a picture of strange guys in a courtroom in Hawaii...]]>http://www.plime.com/science/l/54713/1/This guy really belongs in the plimespace - if not only for his readiness to be controversial and outspoken, then at least for his name!]]>http://www.plime.com/politics/l/52752/1/http://www.plime.com/plime-com/l/52545/1/human cost of this war, but this article has brought home to me the incredible economic cost of the war. It was perhaps very difficult to estimate better beforehand, but it amazes me that the ongoing costs are so obfuscated (hidden?) today. A long article, but it reads quite well.]]>http://www.plime.com/science/l/51487/1/Well, sort of...]]>http://www.plime.com/sex/l/50552/1/http://www.plime.com/sex/l/50547/1/
OK, maybe this doesn't belong ONLY in the "sex" category...]]>http://www.plime.com/politics/l/49705/1/... while the (old) colonial powers are recognising past mistakes and arguing for more accountability and democracy.
There's even an argument here for more investment in African countries.]]>http://www.plime.com/plime-com/l/49704/1/http://www.plime.com/technology/l/49488/1/http://www.plime.com/science/l/49448/1/ here yesterday. It doesn't seem fair that even the earth is "punishing" this part of the continent that is already enduring so much human suffering. Let's hope this sort of thing will lead people to stop their self-induced, mutual suffering, by working together to alleviate earthquake damage. History, unfortunately, indicates that this is unlikely to happen...]]>http://www.plime.com/plime-com/l/44693/1/(BTW, the picture is very obviously not from Angola.)]]>http://www.plime.com/world/l/44689/1/(This picture is not from SA, by the way.)]]>http://www.plime.com/plime-com/l/44512/1/http://www.plime.com/science/l/44119/1/http://www.plime.com/plime-com/l/44100/1/make it first...) when Africans don't seem to care enough about it themselves? *sigh*]]>