Author Archive
Poland gets a new president
Poland has gone through a rough patch this year. Flooding in the last two months have caused destruction and deaths in Poland as well as Central Europe. Furthermore, the country lost its president, Lech Kaczyński, on April 10 after a tragic plane crash in Russia. A previous post discussed the Polish policy of picking an acting president [...]
America’s Independence Day – July 2nd?
We all know the story. July 4 is when the Continental Congress signed the Declaration of Independence. For Americans, Independence Day conjures up images of Thomas Jefferson writing the historic document or John Hancock’s famous signature. Many people even remember one of the opening sentences: We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men [...]
Broadband is a legal right in Finland
July 1 is a big day for the citizens of Finland. It is the day that all Finns have a right to a broadband internet connection. The law, first passed in October 2009, stipulates that every citizen gets a 1Mbps (megabit per second) internet connection. By 2015, Finland plans to guarantee a 100Mbps internet connection [...]
The Failed States Index 2010: Worst Travel Destinations this Summer
When Dinner Topics was created, we promised to keep you up to date on whatever is in the news from pop stars to politics, and this week we are really showing our range with topics from BP to Apple to Australia to Hollywood marriages. Now we move on to the Failed States Index to make [...]
Australia Gets First Female Prime Minister
On June 24, Welsh-born Julia Gillard became Australia’s first female prime minister. However, she won her position in a very unique way. Dinner Topics is here to explain it to you without a single mention of koala bears, “shrimp on the ‘barbee’” or Paul Hogan. The prime minister of Australia is not directly elected by [...]
Apple Fans or Twilight Fans: Which Fans Are Crazier?
Two big events took place on Thursday, June 24: Apple’s iPhone 4 was released and the third movie in the Twilight saga, Eclipse, premiered. Both events are big for their respective fans, but which fans are crazier? The iPhone 4 is being released in five different countries around the world (the U.S., U.K., France, Germany, [...]
What’s going on in Azerbaijan?
You may have heard in the news about problems between the United States and Azerbaijan. Where is Azerbaijan, and what is the problem? Azerbaijan, slightly smaller than Maine, is a republic sandwiched between Iran to the south and Russia and the Caucus Mountains to the north. Armenia and Georgia border Azerbaijan on the west, and [...]
June 12 – a day for “Loving” civil rights
Loving Day isn’t a federal holiday or even a state holiday, but the holiday celebrates a monumental turning point in civil rights. However, many people do not know what Loving Day is, so here are the basic facts. Mildred and Richard Loving were married in June of 1958 in Washington, D.C. However, when the couple [...]
