Micro-plastic, from clothes, is entering the food chain.

Microscopic plastic debris from washing clothes is accumulating in the marine environment and could be entering the food chain, a study has warned. The findings appeared in the journal Environmental Science and Technology. Dr Browne, a member of the US-based research network National Center for Ecological Analysis and Synthesis, said the tiny plastic was a …
Continue reading Micro-plastic, from clothes, is entering the food chain.

Kung Hei Fat Choi Dragon Lady

Chines New Year is today.  The year of the Dragon begins.  Very auspicious, if you are in to that. We are also a third of the way through the quarter cycle to the equinox.  Depending on which part of the world you are in you might have noticed season change.    Here in the sunny …
Continue reading Kung Hei Fat Choi Dragon Lady

Who governs FIFA? Alcohol and sports are not compatible.

It is outrageous that FIFA, sponsored by Budweiser,  is demanding the Brazilian government change their law banning alcohol at matches. Soccer is soccer.  Fans might like to have a pint while watching teh game in their local, but thousands of intoxicated men in confined spaces – that’s just stupid.  Anyone who has seen crowd violence …
Continue reading Who governs FIFA? Alcohol and sports are not compatible.

GEO 2012 – Uncertainties and Vulnerabilities. No, really??!

Global Economic Outlook 2012: Developing countries should prepare for further downside risks, as Euro Area debt problems and weakening growth in several big emerging economies are dimming global growth prospects, says the World Bank in the newly-released Global Economic Prospects (GEP) 2012… http://www.worldbank.org/globaloutlook

Protest US “anti-piracy” moves

The US Stop Online Piracy Act (Sopa) and Protect Intellectual Property Act (Pipa) are proposed to be debated by Congress in a week.  The legislation would allow the Justice Department and content owners to seek court orders requiring search engines to block results associated with piracy. The bill is too broad and so badly written …
Continue reading Protest US “anti-piracy” moves

LibreOffice, OpenOffice and Oracle

Once upon a time OpenOffice, or Ooo (OpenOffice.Org) as it became known was the leader in open source office productivity software.  I loved it.  It was loved. Then one day a cunning suitor, Oracle, offered to give gold to the very attractive, but not rich, Ooo.  Ooo agreed to become part of Oracle.  But Oracle …
Continue reading LibreOffice, OpenOffice and Oracle

Facebook has joined Microsoft and Google: ogres of the internet

A couple of months ago the Austrian law student Max Schrems asked Facebook to send him all their data stored about him. All Europeans have a right to do this because Facebook is based in the EU in Dublin, Ireland. It took a while and then Facebook sent Max a CD with 1222 PDF files. What …
Continue reading Facebook has joined Microsoft and Google: ogres of the internet