[ 20:08 | 18th March 2010 | Comment! ]
British soldiers to march under Stalin’s portraits

Sometimes I really think that this world needs to be stopped immediately, so that I and the rest of the people blessed with brains and the ability to use them, could just step off. The fact that British soldiers are going to march in Moscow at the 9th May parade, under portraits of the mass murderer of millions and in the capital of the country that was Adolf Hitler’s staunch ally, is really something beyond …

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Personal »

[ 20:27 | 18th March 2010 | Comment! ]
The electronic cigarette, vol 3 – real ciggies are gross

I’ve been “smoking” – or actually vaping – the electronic cigarette now for six weeks. And I am still very happy about this purchase. Moreover, the inevitable has happened – real cigarettes have become incredibly disgusting.
About a month after I started vaping (i.e. smoking the e-cigarette, inhaling the vapour), I decided to try what had happened to my tasting senses, so I asked a friend of mine to roll a ciggie for me. He used …

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Personal »

[ 20:13 | 14th February 2010 | Comment! ]

It has now been four days since I got my electronic cigarette. Four days I haven’t had a real, burning and smoking cigarette. And I am happy, and I feel great.
This thing really works, I must say. I remember the agony of quitting smoking (last time I tried that was in October 2006) and I am really, really glad that I don’t have to go through that again. I’m grateful that I have this great …

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Tech & Science »

[ 20:02 | 14th February 2010 | Comment! ]
They’ll conquer us all and rule us with iron fist…

A few months ago Google started quite an intensive ad campaign for their Chrome browser. First, all free newspapers in London were full of Chrome ads, and now I recently noticed huge billboards telling us why we all should use Chrome. One of those billboards is at Victoria Station, right where trains enter and exit the station.
I have used Chrome and it’s a good browser.

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Personal »

[ 10:44 | 11th February 2010 | 1 Comment ]
The electronic cigarette

Yesterday evening I finally received my long-anticipated electronic cigarette, or, as they’re now called, nicotine inhaler. So, since about 7:20pm yesterday, I haven’t smoked a real, burning cigarette – and the good news is, I don’t even want one.
I was thinking about buying a nicotine inhaler for a long time for all of its benefits – cheaper, healthier and more comfortable than real smoking, but still giving you the feeling of the real thing. And …

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Estonia, History »

[ 20:38 | 2nd February 2010 | Comment! ]
Tartu Peace Treaty – a tragic peace treaty

Today 90 years ago Russia agreed to renounce in perpetuity all rights to the territory and sovereignty of the Republic of Estonia. On the 2nd February, 1918, the Tartu Peace Treaty between Soviet Russia and the Republic of Estonia was signed.
The Tartu Peace Treaty ended the Estonian War of Independence that lasted from 1918 to 1920. It is one of the two wars in the entire history that Russia has ever lost.
The terms of the …

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Personal »

[ 20:25 | 27th January 2010 | Comment! ]
We Will Rock You – and they did

Yesterday I had the pleasure to see the We Will Rock You musical in the Dominion Theatre, and, tell you the truth, they really did rock. Me and everyone else there.
It’s a comedy from the future, set in about 2300s when all musical instruments are banned and the world is ruled by a corporation called GlobalSoft, and the Earth is called Planet Mall. Like in today’s world, most people go with the flow and don’t …

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World »

[ 10:30 | 27th January 2010 | Comment! ]
27 January, 1945

“I could have got more out. I could have got more. I don’t know. If I’d just… I could have got more.”
“Oskar, there are eleven hundred people who are alive because of you. Look at them.”
“If I’d made more money… I threw away so much money. You have no idea. If I’d just…”
“There will be generations because of what you did.”
“I didn’t do enough!”

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US Politics »

[ 21:29 | 19th January 2010 | Comment! ]
Best of luck to Scott Brown!

Although day in Massachusetts will be over soon, I still take the chance and wish Republican Scott P. Brown best of luck in today’s election for the late Ted Kennedy’s Senate seat.
It’s definitely not an easy task to win in such a Democratic stronghold as Massachusetts, but recent polls have indicated that Brown really has a strong chance. And, for the people of Massachusetts, it’s also a referendum on President Barack Obama and his policies.
I …

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Tech & Science »

[ 21:17 | 19th January 2010 | 1 Comment ]
Pointless jumping around Internet Explorer

Last week, the German Government warned the users of Microsoft’s browser Internet Explorer that it’s unsecure and people should be using other browsers instead. Then, France joined the call and today also Australia. Bear in mind that it’s not bloggers, hackers or even private companies, but governments!
The problem is that Internet Explorer contains a serious security flaw that could be exploited by hackers.

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Personal »

[ 20:40 | 19th January 2010 | Comment! ]

I’m sorry for recent radio silence and lack of posts, but as many of you know, I found a job and I am now dedicating my time and efforts on excelling in that – which also effectively means that the amount of daily posts in this blog is reduced significantly.
I promise, however, that I won’t neglect you, my dear friends and readers, and time permitting, in some evenings I’ll try to write occasional posts about …

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UK »

[ 18:06 | 15th January 2010 | Comment! ]
Under 21s to be asked for ID if they buy booze

Pubs, bars and off-licences will be forced to ask under 21s for proof of identity under the Government’s latest crackdown on binge drinking, the Daily Mail reports.
Ministers will next week announce that alcohol retailers will be legally obliged to make compulsory checks if they have a “reasonable suspicion” that drinkers look under 21.
Current guidelines encourage this, but the Government wants to toughen up the law amid growing concerns about “binge drinking” among young people.
Pubs, bars …

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Europe »

[ 17:13 | 15th January 2010 | Comment! ]
Belgians face beer shortage amid brewery staff strike

Belgians will next week face supermarket shortages of Stella, Leffe and Jupiler, the country’s most popular beers, as a workers blockade of breweries in protest over job cuts continues over the weekend, the Daily Telegraph reports.
Trade unions have kept a stranglehold over the main breweries of Anheuser-Busch InBev, the world’s largest beer maker, which has its origins and headquarters in Belgium.
Workers have blockaded breweries at Leuven, home of Stella Artois, Jupille, where Jupiler is made …

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UK »

[ 15:55 | 15th January 2010 | Comment! ]

Two people were killed today in a plane crash close to Oxford Airport, the BBC reports.
The two-seater plane came down and burst into flames, just after 14:00 at Grove Road in Bladon, close to the main A44.
The type of plane involved in the crash is not yet known.
The Air Accident Investigation Branch sent a team to the scene to investigate.

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Fun »

[ 15:14 | 15th January 2010 | Comment! ]

A floor collapsed beneath a group of about 20 members of WeightWatchers as they gathered to compare how many pounds they had shed over Christmas, The Times reports.
Members of the weight-loss club were lining up to compare readings on the scales when they heard a bang as the floor came away from the walls of their meeting room in Växjö in southern Sweden.
They abandoned the room as the floor started to give way in other …

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Fun »

[ 13:52 | 15th January 2010 | Comment! ]

American company called SarcMark invented a written sarcasm icon or a punctuation mark that is designed to be used in the same way as an exclamation or question mark, the Daily Telegraph reports.
Anyone concerned that the irony of their email or text message might not be appreciated by its recipient can use the symbol to close their sentence, thereby avoiding awkward misunderstandings.
The symbol – a dot inside a single spiral line – can be installed …

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UK »

[ 13:19 | 15th January 2010 | Comment! ]
Loan company charges up to 3,000% interest

iPhone users can now become clients of a new loan company that allow people to borrow cash within minutes, using their phones, but the interest rate of the loans can be up to 3,000%, the Daily Mail reports.
Borrowers can access up to £1,000 from Wonga’s short-term loan app if they need bridging over before their next payday. But if they debt is not repaid rapidly, the £1,000 could turn to a debt of £2,861 within …

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UK »

[ 12:29 | 15th January 2010 | Comment! ]
Cameron plans new centre to fight cyber-attacks

Conservative leader David Cameron announced plans today for a “cyber treat and assessment centre” to guard against attacks on the UK’s vital computer network, the Daily Mail reports.
Cameron pointed to the so-called “clickskrieg” attack on Estonia three years ago.
“As technology and computers and the internet become bigger and bigger parts of our lives, the effect of cyber warfare will become more pronounced,” he said. “You only have to look at the so-called “Clickskrieg” against Estonia …

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