…that beneath the primitive surface of this powerful man, there lies a stand up comedian in spe:
“In Iran we don’t have homosexuals like in your country” [Reacting to laughter and jeers from the audience] In Iran we don’t have this phenomenon, I don’t know who you told this [sic].”
Iranian President, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, quoted on BBC News.
If Borat did this, it would probably come across as too far-fetched….
Allegedly, as part of the intensified ownership claims to the Arctic, the Russians recently reached the North Pole in a mini submarine, planting a titanium flag on the seabed in order to declare sovereignty.
However, the story of Mother Russia flexing her muscles took an interesting turn when a Finnish newspaper examined the pictorial evidence further and came to the conclusion that these were actually shots from a previous underwater search for Titanic (some even claim that the footage was stolen from the Hollywood movie).
In the end, it turns out that Reuters used the wrong pictures indeed - and forgot to mention it.
For a more heated discussion and pictures of this peculiar incident, please follow this link.
People who consider pictures to be facts always worried me.
I am running the Berlin Marathon - my longest run ever - on 30 September, along with family and friends. (more…)
I decided to follow in Tarek’s footsteps and do a bit of promotion for the Oxford 21st Century Challenge Competition for business ideas that make a difference. The organisers set out to reward initiatives that will help solve some of the most pertinent challenges of the 21st century.
As some of you may know, the competition is organised by my institute, and the so-called challenge tracks are inspired by the research streams conducted here. These are Tomorrow’s Planet (the environment), Tomorrow’s People (healthcare and medicine) and Tomorrow’s Wealth (wealth distribution).
If you have a good idea and would like to get your hands on the £65,000 prize fund, I encourage you to have a look at this website. You can also join the group on Facebook.
May the best idea win.
Lovozero, which is sometimes referred to as the Lapp capital of Russia, is a Sami stronghold on the Kola Peninsula. During communism the Sami in Russia were forced to relocate to collectives of this kind, regardless of their Indigenous lifestyles. The outcome is a community in which problems of abuse, of all kinds, are too numerous to be counted.
While traditional reindeer herding activities are increasingly incompatible with modern ways of living and industrial organisation, the skin factory has found its niche in producing meats, garments and other memorabilia for foreigners and wealthy Russians. The products may no longer be ‘authentic’, but the pride in craft remains intact.
Further info:
BBC News: Russia’s Sami fight for their lives
I am delighted once again to be able to see one of my absolute favourite bands perform live.
Underworld taught my generation that electronic music can be just as beautiful as music created using ‘conventional’ instruments, if not better. For many people they provided a path to a completely new world, and some of us chose to stay in that neck of the woods happily ever after.
With so many personal feelings vested, it will surely feel like going back in time; back to an era that is now deceptively covered in a layer of innocence. Ah, how we used to live…
A while back I reported about my dislike for the company Plagiarism Inc./Oxbridge Essays (Try Googling the term).
It has been rewarding to learn that I am not the only one finding this sort of enterprise utterly despicable: The Facebook group, Oxbridge Students Against ‘Oxbridge Essays’, has grown steadily and reached more than 800 members.
In the meantime, based on hearsay, it seems that Plagiarism Inc./Oxbridge Essays have intensified their recruitment efforts, at least within the Business School.
It strikes me how the company, despite claims of being a legitimate enterprise, has not been able to deliver one reasonable counter-argument, which is, perhaps, why they choose to hide behind a veil of anonymity.
Surely, a company whose website does not feature a single name, whose employees and ‘clients’ are guaranteed anonymity, and whose self-proclaimed ‘credibility’ is unverifiable is calling into question, if not seriously doubting, its own legitimacy.
For example, by not disclosing data of any sort, it becomes impossible to check whether Plagiarism Inc. really “employs 1000+ Oxford University and Cambridge University educated writers”. Also, what exactly counts as an ‘educated writer’; a first-year undergraduate student? Well, it is impossible to check.
So, Kate Jones (applications@oxbridgeessays.com), are you really incapable of defending what you do for a living?
It is, of course, beyond dispute that this is the finest looking chair ever designed: “Flag Line” Halyard Lounge (Hans Wegner).
A striking difference between countries is to be found in their approach to managing and presenting buildings.
In England you will find the most beautiful Victorian buildings in the poshest areas of London, yet as soon as you enter through the door you are bound to discover the inverse relationship between inside and outside. Behind the perfectly polished facade lies a dump of an interior. I remember living in Lancaster Gate in London W2; on the outside, the building looked like a five-star hotel, whilst inside the place was a dirty firetrap with worn out furniture and wall-to-wall carpets dating back to the 1950s.
In Russia, on the other hand, no matter how run down a building may look from the outside - and, trust me, in parts of the North there is nothing but run down Soviet blocks - the interior will always be clean, tidy and in a far better state than whatever catches the eye from the exterior.
Perhaps it would be a little too rude of me to draw an analogy to people here. Tempting it is though…