Archive for October, 2006
Forgotten world (36): Estonia
October 9th, 2006 by Roger Darlington
On seven occasions now, I’ve had a week-long feature on NightHawk devoted to parts of the world that tend to be under-reported or even forgotten. You can check out the previous 35 entries here. This week, I plan to run an eighth series of postings on this theme. Travelling from north to south, Estonia is […]
Posted in World current affairs | Comments (0)
Is sport falling at the class hurdle?
October 8th, 2006 by Roger Darlington
I confess that I’ve never had much interest in sport – either playing it or watching it. But I am fascinated by class and how it determines so unfairly so many life chances. So I took notice of the establishment of StreetGames which is a new national charity set up to bring sport to the […]
Posted in British current affairs | Comments (0)
Is string theory tying us in knots?
October 8th, 2006 by Roger Darlington
Is it possible to combine the theory of relativity (which explains the movement of large bodies) with quantum mechanics (which explain the action of sub-atomic particles) into a Grand Unification Theory (GUT) that would account for everything from the big bang to black holes? Ever since the 1980s, the best bet for such a GUT […]
Posted in Science & technology | Comments (0)
What do Uzbekistan and Liechtenstein have in common?
October 7th, 2006 by Roger Darlington
Apparently they are the only two countries in the world that have the dubious honour of being doubly landlocked – that is, goods must pass through two other countries to reach a port. Not a lot of people know that! Now I’ve visited most countries in Europe but not Liechtenstein (am I missing anything?). However, […]
Posted in World current affairs | Comments (1)
Chinese Mid Autumn Festival
October 6th, 2006 by Roger Darlington
For my Chinese friends, today is the celebration of the Mid Autumn Festival when they eat moon cakes.This custom of worshipping the moon (called xi yue in Chinese) can be traced back as far as the ancient Xia and Shang Dynasties (2000 B.C.-1066 B.C.).
Posted in Cultural issues | Comments (0)
What is the most racially diverse part of Britain?
October 6th, 2006 by Roger Darlington
If you’re walking down a street in your town or borough in Britain, what are the chances that the person you meet is from a different racial group? The Office for National Statistics (ONS) has worked out the probabilities after the first full analysis of the racial and religious mix of every local authority in […]
Posted in British current affairs | Comments (0)
Feeling unappreciated?
October 6th, 2006 by Roger Darlington
It’s Friday and you can’t wait for the weekend. So, to cheer yourself up, check out this link.
Posted in Miscellaneous | Comments (0)
Here comes the judge
October 5th, 2006 by Roger Darlington
In my capaciry as a member of the Postwatch Council, I spent this morning at Royal Mail Headquarters acting as a judge on a panel to choose the best post office in each of three categories for each of two regions. It was really encouraging to see how much effort Post Office staff and sub-postmasters […]
Posted in British current affairs | Comments (0)
Male or female?
October 4th, 2006 by Roger Darlington
You might not have known this, but a lot of non-living objects are actually either male or female. You can check out some examples here.
Posted in Miscellaneous | Comments (1)
Would you be willing to donate your organs?
October 4th, 2006 by Roger Darlington
I’ve registed here and would encourage you to do so.
Posted in My life & thoughts | Comments (0)