Category Archives: Uncategorized

The Archipelago of the Azores is an autonomous region of Portugal formed on the tips of barely submerged underwater mountains, the nine islands boast crater lakes, hot springs and spluttering geysers. The population of one quarter of a million residents live on these … Continue reading →

Social skills The vital art of talking to strangers Three books explain why it matters—and can easily be lost JulY 10th 2021 ECONOMIST  Hello, Stranger. By Will Buckingham. Granta; 336 pages; £16.99 The Power of Strangers. By Joe Keohane. Random House; 352 pages; … Continue reading →

The riddle of how humans evolved to have fathers Few other mammalian dads invest as much time and care in rearing their offspring – or even the children of others – compared to human fathers. By Elizabeth Preston 27th June 2021 … Continue reading →

POST COVID SYNDROME WHAT WE KNOW AND DON’T KNOW ABOUT LONG COVID It may actually be a collection of quite different syndromes  Apr 27th 2022 (Updated Apr 29th 2022) ECONOMIST  More than two years since the start of the covid-19 pandemic, scientists have … Continue reading →

Lives v livelihoods How to assess the costs and benefits of lockdowns The policy will stay in governments’ toolkits. A growing body of research will guide its use June 29th 2021 ECONOMIST “TO ME, I say the cost of a … Continue reading →

AZORES – General, Rough Guide, The Trip CAPE VERDE – Islands of Democracy, Rough Guide. The Trip MADEIRA – General , Rough Guide, The Trip CANARY ISLANDS – General, Rough Guide, The Trip BALEARIC ISLANDS – Rough Guide, The Trip  ITALY – Lombardy, Aosta, Piedmont & Seborga, Sardinia FRANCE – Provence-Alpes- Cote d’Azur, Languedoc-Rousillon  SPAIN … Continue reading →

PARTY MEMBERSHIP How to join the party – Getting into the vanguard of the Chinese elite To well-educated Chinese, Communist Party membership is worth fighting for, even if it is not easy to attain June 23rd 2021 ECONOMIST  The fight against … Continue reading →

China’s methods of surveillance Busybodies, backed by AI, are restoring the party’s visibility How Communist Party members help to keep a close eye on Chinese citizens—and on each other June 23rd 2021 ECONOMIST  In 2018 xi jinping visited one of Shanghai’s … Continue reading →

Islands of democracy Why Africa’s island-states are generally freer Size is important; so is being an island Jun 26th 2021 ECONOMIST Cape verde may be best known for white sand beaches. But the archipelago, about 500km off the coast of Africa, … Continue reading →

Belgitude: the art of Belgian zen A rogue soldier explains life in Europe’s strangest country Jun 24th 2021 ECONOMIST Allowing a soldier to go awol is a misfortune. Allowing a soldier to go awol armed with stolen machineguns, four rocket-launchers and a pledge to “join … Continue reading →