Commitment. Dedication. Willingness. Devotion. Mission. There are millions of people who have no idea what that means. There are millions of people who don’t understand those things and don’t even want to. And unfortunately, there is quite a considerable amount of people who hate people with such qualities.
And then there’s this one man whose commitment, dedication, willingness, devotion and sense of mission have been…

Have a very happy Purim! And remember, it’s a mitzvah to drink until one cannot tell the difference between “cursed be Haman” and “blessed be Mordecai”!

Alexander Haig, the Secretary of State under Ronald Reagan, and White House Chief of Staff under Richard Nixon and Gerald Ford, died today at the age of 85. He was one of my favourite old school politicians.
He was certainly a very interesting character. A general who had fought in Korea and Vietnam, received multiple military awards; a supreme allied commander in Europe; a politician that in this time brought some colour and excitement to Washington …

France has a long good relationship with Russia and Russians. Before Soviet Union, the Russian elite spoke French and even among other Russians. Most of them were educated in France, many emigrated to France when the Bolsheviks took power and a lot died there.
The good relationship between the French and the Russians lasts to this day. So, when the news first broke that France could sell Russia an advanced war ship, I had no doubt …

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 …

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.

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 …

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 …

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 …

“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!”

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 …

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.

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 …

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 …

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 …

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.