Today I came across the UK Shadow Cabinet announced by the new Conservative Party leader, David Cameron. It struck me that out of 24 members, there are only 4 women. South Africa has tried hard to achieve gender parity, and has one of the highest ratios of women in office (Rwanda I think has the… Continue reading Gender balance in UK and SA politics.
Month: December 2005
Jonga, Funnel, Ananzi and Google.co.za compared
With the recent launch of Jonga, and Funnel having been around a few months now, it’s been an interesting time for local search engines. I thought I’d do a quick comparison. My highly unscientific methodology involved choosing a site I know, entering a search term I think should find it, and seeing how closely the… Continue reading Jonga, Funnel, Ananzi and Google.co.za compared
Wikipedia as role-playing game
My favourite anti-Wikipedia sophist, the Register’s Andrew Orlowsky, is at it again in an article entitled Who owns your Wikipedia bio?. He reminds me of Ali-G, in that its the reaction of his victims, more than the nonsense he speaks, that provides the humour. A notable example for Americans was when Ali G (actually it… Continue reading Wikipedia as role-playing game
Swedish innovation
The Scandanavian countries strike me as the most progressive in so many ways, with Sweden being particularly abundant and innovative. It didn’t get to be like that for no reason. Its government spends 4.27% of its GDP on research, more than any other country in the world besides Israel. Unlike Israel, and many other countries… Continue reading Swedish innovation
The archetypal Gemini
Sometimes I have to laugh at myself for fitting the cliches so well. Without getting into whether I’m actually a flighty Gemini or a bull-headed Taurus, or whether its all a bunch of bollocks, I clearly fit the image of someone with 101 interests, and who gets bored if I’m stuck on one thing too… Continue reading The archetypal Gemini
Looking for the whaling ship Nisshin Maru
The following Greenpeace request came across my path. If anyone wants and is able to help them track down a whaling ship, read further. The ship we are seeking is named the Nisshin Maru, gross tonnage 8,030, length 130 metres, radio call sign JJCJ. She is the factory ship and will be accompanied by three… Continue reading Looking for the whaling ship Nisshin Maru