The forbidden railway: Vienna – Pyongyang 윈 – 모스크바 – 두만강 – 평양

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“he state North Korean tourist company KITC did not know in advance about our route. And we did not know what would really happen to us after arrival at Tumangan.”

“Not only that North Korea is quite an unusual touristic destination, the route to North Korea was even more unusual – I travelled the whole way from Vienna (Austria) to Pyongyang by train via Slovakia, Ukraine and Russia (my friend, he is from Switzerland, only joined me in Irkutsk). And we used a route into North Korea, which is said to be impossible for tourists:
We entered North Korea from Russia via the border at Hasan/Tumangan, whereas usually tourists can only use the railway line from the Chinese-Korean border at Dandong/Sinuiju to Pyongyang.
This route was open for tourist traffic only untill about 1994. It’s likely that we were the first tourists who travelled this line since then.”

Source: The forbidden railway: Vienna – Pyongyang 윈 – 모스크바 – 두만강 – 평양

Update, 18 June 2018:

Train ride from Austria to North Korea. Apparently it is now possible again to travel there as a foreigner, “The Longest Train Journey in the World Offers a Rare Look at North Korea” at: https://theculturetrip.com/asia/north-korea/articles/the-longest-train-journey-in-the-world-offers-a-rare-look-at-north-korea/

With reference to: “he 800km of railway from Pyongyang to Tumangang, near the point at which North Korea, China and Russia converge, has just opened to foreigners. Post Magazine boards the first train making the journey”

http://www.scmp.com/magazines/post-magazine/travel/article/2148393/north-korean-leg-longest-train-journey-offers

Emma Jonson Boogie Woogie Pianist

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From the website: “Emma attended Leeds College of Music where she studied Jazz & Contemporary Music.  From there she formed her first orignals blues band which toured throughout the UK,  appearing at various festivals including Lichfield Fuse and Birmingham Songwriters Festival.  The highlight of her musical career was supporting Jamie Cullum where she performed her newly released single, Not Quite, as showcased on SAGA Radio.

In addtion to her soft spot for the boogie woogie and originals, Emma has a large repetoire of classic and current cover songs, making her a flexible musician able to perform at all venues from wine bars to weddings and corporate functions.  Her energetic piano style is complimented by unique soothing vocals making her a truely versatile act. Emma comes as a solo artist, duo or with her new exciting band. “

Source: Emma Jonson Boogie Woogie Pianist

Editorial overkill – Springer

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“Mandatory revision in accordance with reviewers’ comments has apparently become the norm for articles published in certain quarters. Of the regular articles published in the 9-year period 1972-1980 by a sample of highly reputable journals (British Journal ofPsychology, Econometrica, and the Journal ofthe American Statistical Association), 68% to 99% had to be revised subsequent to submission. These high rates of coerced revision place enormous power in the hands of
reviewers to enforce conformity to their views while largely escaping responsibility, or accountability, for their actions. This situation is conducive to a variety of abuses that detract from the efficiency of the peer-review system and therefore constitute editorial overkill. These abuses are extensively discussed and illustrated.” (Abstract)

“The honor is apparently interpreted by some referees as implying their superiority to the author and by others as a license to impose their views upon him and to force the inclusion of their views, and even their literary style, in the author’s article . By some, the chore seems to be minimized by criticizing the article on the basis of a hasty and careless glancereading. Others, slightly more conscientious, apparently resort
to the ploy of reading the manuscript carefully enough only to detect the trivial and easily discovered literary and scientific peccadillos, but not the important scientific flaws, which are far harder to find, Their review of the article, then , amounts to little more than “cataloging the trivia’.’ in a perfunctory effort to convince the editor that they have done their job .”

 

Source: Editorial overkill – Springer

Ship Movements Southampton

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http://www.southamptonvts.co.uk/Live_Information/Shipping_Movements_and_Cruise_Ship_Schedule/Planned_Movements/

 

The web site of Southampton VTS (ABP Southampton). ABP is the Statutory Harbour Athority for Southampton Water, and VTS Authority and Pilotage Authority for the Eastern Solent and Approaches. Information about safe navigation, pilotage and harbour rules and regulations. Live data covering shipping movements, tide and weather conditions and Cruise ship movements.