Monthly Archive for September, 2006

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Andy Chipling – Paper spacecraft pioneer

Published on 18 September 2006 in Space. 1 Comment

Browsing the Imperial College news digest, I was pleasantly surprised to find this gem from the Daily Mail about Andy Chipling of the Paper Aircraft Association. I have fond memories of Andy from his days as a technician at IC, when he would help us each year to organise the C&G Egg Race.

Imperial daily news digest – Friday 24 August 2006

IMPERIAL MENTION

“Plane crazy” The Daily Mail p15 – “This man plans to launch a paperaeroplane into space at 16,500 mph – with a little help from Nasa…

EVEN the most generous of observers would have to concede that Andy Chipling doesn’t look like the sort of man to have a hotline to Nasa…

Ever since he fired off a chance e-mail to Nasa four years ago while working at Imperial College London, Chipling has been trying to persuade the space administration to release a paper airplane into the atmosphere during one of the shuttle missions. Now, the founder of the Paper Aircraft Association believes he may be nearing his goal and says it will be a fascinating way to educate children about the science of outer space.”

A paper craft thrown out of a Shuttle? I have to say, with no drag, I’m not sure what the point is. (In the near-vaccum of space, it’ll go far no matter how much it lacks in aero-dynamic design.) Nevertheless, it has a certain novelty value to it. Go Andy, go!

Taking Power Conference

Published on 14 September 2006 in Open Government. 0 Comments Tags: , , .

I’m taking part in the Taking Power conference (entitled “Have your say about how Britain is run”). It is taking place online, right now, and anyone can take part simply by going to the web site. The conference is being organised by the Liberal Democrat Peer, Lord Tyler, in support of the POWER inquiry, which published its initial report earlier this year.

I was initially sceptical about an online conference but there is some good debate on there with some interesting views being expressed. I’ve certainly learned a thing or two, as well as having the opportunity to publish my ideas to a captive audience. Everyone who as interest in how the country is run and should be run should take part.

Jew thrown off airline

Published on 9 September 2006 in Snippets, Society and War on Terror. 0 Comments Tags: , , , , .

A reminder that xenophobia knows no bounds. Following the recent spate of “Muslim-looking” asians being thrown off planes, Saracen.nu is reporting that a Jewish man was thrown off a plane for praying – unbelievable! Bigotry and ignorance must be stopped, for all our sakes.

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Bulgaria allows hijab ban in schools

Published on 9 September 2006 in Action Alert, Islam and Society. 3 Comments Tags: , , , .

IHRC is reporting that Bulgaria has become the latest country to ban the rights of Muslim girls to wear the headscarf (“hijab”) to school. Worse, the country’s Education Minister has declared that Muslim girls who wish to wear the headscarf should attend separate Muslim schools, segregating them from their fellow citizens. Hot on the heels of bans in France, German and Belgium this looks like a worrying trend.

Many Muslim women believe it is a religious obligation to cover their hair in public. Whether right or wrong, this is not the issue. It doesn’t harm or cause any difficulty to anyone else and they should have the right to an education whilst remaining free to practice their religion. Please heed the IHRC’s call to write to your MP, MEP and the Foreign Secretary demanding representations be made to the government of Bulgaria (which is set to accede to the EU next year).

In other news… the Guardian reports that Muslim women face discrimination at the workplace, despite good academic performance. I wouldn’t be surprised if the wearing of headscarves had something to do with it.