Archive for March, 2009


The PILL pilot trial (3)

March 31st, 2009 by Roger Darlington

Can you believe it? Just days after I become involved in a trial of the so-called “polypill”, this morning the “Mirror” newspaper – for no apparent reason – runs a story on this new form of medication. Footnote: Now that I’ve seen more of today’s media, I see why the “polypill” is in the news […]

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A special view of China

March 31st, 2009 by Roger Darlington

Take your time and ‘walk through’ this Chinese painting which stretches across some length. At each of the three white boxes, turn on your sound system, click your mouse within the box, and you will be amazed at how the painting comes to life. Cursor to right to fast forward. Enjoy! This is a very […]

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Forgotten World (167): Azerbaijan

March 31st, 2009 by Roger Darlington

Azerbaijan gained its independence in 1991 as a result of the break-up of the former Soviet Union. It is an oil-rich state and in 1994 signed an oil contract worth $7.4bn with a Western consortium. Since then Western companies have invested millions in the development of the country’s oil and gas reserves. Caspian oil is […]

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The PILL pilot trial (2)

March 30th, 2009 by Roger Darlington

This morning, together with my wife, I made a second visit to the International Centre for Circulatory Health at St Mary’s Hospital at Paddington in London to be considered for participation in a pilot trial for a “polypill” to treat people at raised risk of cardiovascular disease such as as heart attack or stroke. We […]

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Forgotten World (166): Bavaria

March 30th, 2009 by Roger Darlington

It’s time to have another week of postings in my long-running series called Forgotten World – a look at parts of the world that hardly feature in our media or thoughts. You can check the previous 165 entries here. Bavaria – located in the south-east of Germany – is the largest of the 16 Lander […]

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Off to Lisbon

March 26th, 2009 by Roger Darlington

I’m off to Lisbon for a couple of days to speak at a seminar organised by the Portuguese regulator for posts and telecommunications. I’ll be describing the operation of the Communications Consumer Panel in the UK on which I have served since it was created five years ago. It will be my fourth visit to […]

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The PILL pilot trial (1)

March 26th, 2009 by Roger Darlington

You read about medical trials but this is the first time that I’ve had any personal involvement in one. This morning, together with my wife, I spent an hour and a half at the International Centre for Circulatory Health at St Mary’s Hospital at Paddington in London being considered for participation in a pilot trial […]

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The shah of Iran

March 24th, 2009 by Roger Darlington

This week, I was able to visit the British Museum and see the fascinating exhibition “Shah ‘Abbas: The Remaking of Iran”. This tells the story of seventeenth-century Iran through the reign and legacy of one of its most influential rulers, Shah ‘Abbas I who reigned 1587–1629 and founded the capital of Isfarhan. I would always […]

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What does the name Pakistan mean?

March 22nd, 2009 by Roger Darlington

The name Pakistan means “Land of (the) Pure” in Urdu and Persian (Farsi). It was coined in 1934 as Pakstan by Choudhary Rahmat Ali, who published it in his pamphlet “Now or Never”. The name represented the “thirty million Muslims of PAKISTAN, who live in the five Northern Units of the British Raj — Punjab, […]

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How to prepare for death

March 21st, 2009 by Roger Darlington

I’ve run a web site for almost 10 years now and, ever expanding in content, it now has almost 140 sections. One of the most popular areas of the site is the set of pages on life skills. I’ve just created the 27th page in this life skills section. It’s called “How To Prepare For […]

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