My website

I finally got the site running properly meaning that even my link on the first page is working. It might be not a big deal for a professional but when you are new to web designing, things never seem to work as you want.

When you click on the second page just click on the button then click "ok" for all the warnings. I need to add the markers for this page now and I will be done (for now)

Here is the link http://plaza.ufl.edu/irvikafrancois/ or you can simply click on the title of this post and you will go to the website.

Hi Everyone. First I would like to thank everyone for their warm wishes, their concerns and their help for the situation going on in Haiti. It's still unbelievable and I would love to have a time machine to go back to 1/12/10 16:52 right before the earthquake as in the movie flashforward. I am trying to hang in there as for the few seconds I was able to talk to my mom she made me promise not to drop out. I did and I will try to do my best.

My project might change as a result of what I am been living and the chaos that people are experiencing. Help is there but there haven't successfully reach people because there is a lack of communication due to language (for instance it was difficult to rescue three people because the Panamean team and the Israelian team couldn't communicate and it was impossible to find a translator speaking spanish and Hebrew.) The same situation prevails for food, water and medical assistance. As coordination appear to be the key, I was thinking of using a Promethean board linked to a GPS that will allow real-time visualization of the dispatch of helping troops and supplies (pretty much as what is offered by gpsrts.ufl.edu). I was thinking of having flags (representing the troops helping) logos of materials they are having in green, these that are about to finish in yellow and supplies that are lacking in red. Such a board would be at the airports thus teams know where to reach. Paths of streets will be colored the same way to attract attention on region that has yet received any help.

I hope this make sense. I have no clue how to do this right now. I will be thinking about it.

Thanks again for all your warm thoughts.

Help is in our hands

From the book: Solidarity Will Transform the World by Jeffrey Korgen

There are some points in life when every other thing is secondary. This is one of those moments, when millions of people are terrified and with a very grim future ahead.

We are all connected. Our group is like a family, we will work together for months, in some cases we will make friends forever. Our fellow student, Christine Irvika, is from Haiti, let's hope that her family is well and let's keep her in our thoughts. She is part of this family.

In two days more than 4.5 million dollars have been texted to aid in this disaster. We can help right from where we are.

Call 90999 on your cell phone and text "HAITI." You will be charged $10.00 on your phone bill, the money of which will go to the Red Cross.

If you want to send goods instead, this is one suggestion, since it goes directly to the closest point of contact (their neighbors in Santo Domingo), "official aid" always takes too much time at a time when hours make a difference:

The Centers of the Company of Jesus in Dominican Rep. (Santo Domingo: Bono and Alberto Hurtado Center; Santiago: Center Bellarmino and CEFASA; Dajabón: Border solidarity) has established an aid network to help the victims of the earthquake in Haiti. They are accepting the following :

FOODS:
- Can Kidney beans
- Can sausages - Can Sardines - Can Tuna - Saltine crackers
- non-perishable Milk - Fruit juices in non-perishable containers - Nonperishable Foods.

MEDICINES
- Oral rehydration serum - Gauzes - Cotton - Analgesic (acetaminophen, ibuprophen) - - Elastic Bandages - Antitetanic Toxoide - Human antitetanic Ganmaglobulina - Antibiotic (amoxicifilina, in suspension and/or tablets) - Antiseptic (type yodopovidona, or type soap of clorhexidina) - sanitary Towels

Please send no clothing
You can send your contributions to the following addresses:

- Bonó, c. Josefa Brea N. 65, Mejoramiento Social, Santo Domingo.
Tel.: 809-682-4448. sjrmbono@sjrdom.org
(You need to activate Javascript to see this web.)
www.bono.org.do

or

- Centro Alberto Hurtado, Av. Jiménez Moya N. 37, (al lado de
Inazúcar), Santo Domingo

A mind of my own!

I am not sure how to go with this as I have kept away from blogging for many reasons. That task will take a great deal of discipline from me because it is usually difficult for me to put words on things that are going on inside my brain. Moreover as I am registered into two of Mr Sinclair's classes some of my posting may overlap. In fact today, I experienced a phenomenon that I was familiar with while studying Latin and Spanish at the same time. I was thinking about visualization while in the game course. And I have been asking myself if these fields are not interconnected. I assume yes particularly after seeing prototype of the work of previous students.

So today I was thinking about an interactive wall poster. A search revealed that someone taught about that and I am integrating the link here if you are curious.
I know we must think about the future but in my case I have to work in a particular 3D the past the present and the potential future because I want to create things that are feasible in Haiti. Third world countries are seriously particular because of huge discrepancies. But instead of focusing on the few (2%) that have constant access to high tech I want to develop something that would be innovative but that focus on this context. If I close my eyes I am seeing a giant poster that looks like an iphone screen and that is based on solar energy.

I will stop...for now!