Zammou Blog

 Traveling by train across Europe is a fantastic way to explore the countryside and choose an eco-friendly option, as most electric trains produce zero emissions. However, without the right approach, it can be costly. Here are some practical tips to help you save money and make the most of your European train journey. European Railway Companies Each European country has its own railway company, with various websites for booking tickets directly: The Netherlands : NS ( www.ns.nl ) Belgium : SNCB ( www.belgiantrain.be ) Luxembourg : CFL ( www.cfl.lu ) France : SNCF ( www.sncf-connect.com ) Switzerland : SBB ( www.sbb.ch ) Austria : ÖBB ( www.oebb.at ) Italy : Trenitalia ( www.trenitalia.com ) Spain : Renfe ( www.renfe.com ) Germany : Deutsche Bahn ( www.bahn.de ) Tip 1: Book in Advance Many European railway companies allow you to book tickets up to one month ahead. Booking early often means lower prices than booking a day or two before departure. If you can plan your trip in advance,...

 With Heroku discontinuing its free tier, many developers have been searching for alternative platforms to host their web applications built with Node.js, PHP, Go, Python, Ruby, .NET or Java. One excellent alternative I've found is Google App Engine , which offers a free tier that rivals Heroku’s previous offering. Why Google App Engine? By using the F1 (Standard Environment) instance, you can host your web application for free indefinitely. You also get 1GB of free outbound data transfer per day , which adds up to around 30GB of free data transfer per month ( plenty for small to medium-scale applications). Things to Watch Out For: While the F1 instance is free, it's important to note that only 1 F1 instance is free. If your app experiences heavy traffic, Google App Engine will automatically scale and spin up additional instances, which could result in charges. To avoid this, you can set a limit on the number of instances. Here’s how you can configure your app.yaml file to p...

 When planning a trip, many people turn to popular booking platforms like Hotels.com or Booking.com to reserve their rooms. But should you use these websites to actually book your stay, or are they better suited as search engines to compare prices before booking directly with the hotel? Here’s a breakdown of the pros and cons. Benefits of Booking Directly with the Hotel: Savings: You can often save between $5 and $10 per night by booking directly. Loyalty Programs: Some hotels offer loyalty points that can be used for free stays. Exclusive Perks: Many hotels provide added benefits, such as welcome drinks, room upgrades, or free breakfast when you reach certain loyalty levels (e.g., bronze, silver, gold). Drawbacks: Limited Online Booking Options: Not all hotels offer the ability to book and pay through their own website. Overall, it’s usually better to book directly with the hotel. Hotels often prefer this, as they don’t have to pay the high commissions (around 25%) charged by ...

 Today, I spoke with a scientist and asked if she believes in God. She replied, "No, I believe in science." I responded, "Science doesn’t have all the answers. It’s a constantly evolving field of exploration and experimentation, with much still unknown. So, while science may not currently be able to prove the existence of God, that doesn't necessarily mean God doesn’t exist. Perhaps, in the distant future, science will evolve to the point where it can answer such profound questions. As a scientist, being open-minded is important—especially about things that science cannot fully explain at this moment.