http://www.the-column.co.uk/index.php The Column - the thoughts of Ben Yates - a monthly rant about life, the universe and everything in it en-gb Thu, 08 Apr 2010 17:00:00 GMT info@the-column.co.uk (Ben Yates) http://www.the-column.co.uk/62.php http://www.the-column.co.uk/62.php The discovery of a new gene which could help battle alcoholism http://www.the-column.co.uk/61.php http://www.the-column.co.uk/61.php How wasps could become mans new best friend http://www.the-column.co.uk/60.php http://www.the-column.co.uk/60.php A tribute to Michael Jackson and Bubbles http://www.the-column.co.uk/59.php http://www.the-column.co.uk/59.php How Hugh Hefner saved the Hollywood sign http://www.the-column.co.uk/58.php http://www.the-column.co.uk/58.php A report from my first foray into Asia http://www.the-column.co.uk/57.php http://www.the-column.co.uk/57.php England - from conquerors to plain conkers http://www.the-column.co.uk/56.php http://www.the-column.co.uk/56.php Why football teams may soon be selling human organs http://www.the-column.co.uk/55.php http://www.the-column.co.uk/55.php Cooking up a storm about dumbed-down television programmes http://www.the-column.co.uk/54.php http://www.the-column.co.uk/54.php How a visit to Edinburgh stopped me murdering the French http://www.the-column.co.uk/53.php http://www.the-column.co.uk/53.php Some thoughts on religious disputes for the festive season http://www.the-column.co.uk/52.php http://www.the-column.co.uk/52.php Why eating veal may help reduce carbon emissions http://www.the-column.co.uk/51.php http://www.the-column.co.uk/51.php Why it’s just not possible to sit on the fence in Las Vegas http://www.the-column.co.uk/50.php http://www.the-column.co.uk/50.php Some thoughts regarding our growing obsession with looking back to the recent past http://www.the-column.co.uk/49.php http://www.the-column.co.uk/49.php How poor TV presenting could be adapted to control bad taste t-shirt slogans http://www.the-column.co.uk/48.php http://www.the-column.co.uk/48.php The origins of terrorism and my day out at the shopping centre http://www.the-column.co.uk/47.php http://www.the-column.co.uk/47.php A reaction to the unveiling of a treadmill designed for use at the office http://www.the-column.co.uk/46.php http://www.the-column.co.uk/46.php My recent trip to Amsterdam and visit to the notorious Red Light District http://www.the-column.co.uk/45.php http://www.the-column.co.uk/45.php Multiple personality disorders and my concerns for the mental health of Eddie Murphy http://www.the-column.co.uk/44.php http://www.the-column.co.uk/44.php The prisons crisis in the UK, and ways to combat high re-offending rates http://www.the-column.co.uk/43.php http://www.the-column.co.uk/43.php Reflections on the January blues, including how to calculate your Misery Day http://www.the-column.co.uk/42.php http://www.the-column.co.uk/42.php A festive ode to grieving, and the link between Diana's death and our own lost ones http://www.the-column.co.uk/41.php http://www.the-column.co.uk/41.php Where is Osama Bin Laden and why have the Americans failed to find him in 5 years http://www.the-column.co.uk/40.php http://www.the-column.co.uk/40.php A tribute to Arnold Schwarzenegger, and why contemporary cinema is lacking real action heroes http://www.the-column.co.uk/39.php http://www.the-column.co.uk/39.php Why we must invade Finland in order to secure future supplies of water http://www.the-column.co.uk/38.php http://www.the-column.co.uk/38.php A brief introduction to Marshall McLuhan, and a suggestion of what to do with unwanted books http://www.the-column.co.uk/37.php http://www.the-column.co.uk/37.php A belated tribute to a pleasant childhood memory and an innocent victim of political correctness http://www.the-column.co.uk/36.php http://www.the-column.co.uk/36.php Introducing my RSI and the dangers of using a computer http://www.the-column.co.uk/35.php http://www.the-column.co.uk/35.php Reflections on my trip to the Greek city of Athens http://www.the-column.co.uk/34.php http://www.the-column.co.uk/34.php The connection between young offenders and rich footballers http://www.the-column.co.uk/33.php http://www.the-column.co.uk/33.php Man's attempts to stop cows burping in the name of Kyoto http://www.the-column.co.uk/32.php http://www.the-column.co.uk/32.php Concern over consumer debt accrued during the festive period http://www.the-column.co.uk/31.php http://www.the-column.co.uk/31.php A wake up call to drunk pedestrians from the new Jaguar sports coupe http://www.the-column.co.uk/30.php http://www.the-column.co.uk/30.php The dangers of compulsory ID cards in the UK http://www.the-column.co.uk/29.php http://www.the-column.co.uk/29.php Siestas and my admiration for the Spanish lifestyle http://www.the-column.co.uk/28.php http://www.the-column.co.uk/28.php Student loans and the way we are being ripped off http://www.the-column.co.uk/27.php http://www.the-column.co.uk/27.php Society's obsession with physical and mental syndromes http://www.the-column.co.uk/26.php http://www.the-column.co.uk/26.php The potential benefits of having in-car satellite navigation http://www.the-column.co.uk/25.php http://www.the-column.co.uk/25.php The intrusive annoyance that is telemarketing http://www.the-column.co.uk/24.php http://www.the-column.co.uk/24.php The story of the mysterious musical talent found on a Kent beach http://www.the-column.co.uk/23.php http://www.the-column.co.uk/23.php A profile of Samuel Johnson, inventor of the English Dictionary http://www.the-column.co.uk/22.php http://www.the-column.co.uk/22.php The problems facing short-term temporary workers http://www.the-column.co.uk/21.php http://www.the-column.co.uk/21.php Praise for the TV book club run by Richard and Judy http://www.the-column.co.uk/20.php http://www.the-column.co.uk/20.php The laws regarding defending our homes from intruders http://www.the-column.co.uk/19.php http://www.the-column.co.uk/19.php The problems I encountered when attempting to insure a car http://www.the-column.co.uk/18.php http://www.the-column.co.uk/18.php Do Angels really exist, and if so what form do they take http://www.the-column.co.uk/17.php http://www.the-column.co.uk/17.php Why do people flock to Australia in such large numbers http://www.the-column.co.uk/16.php http://www.the-column.co.uk/16.php The increasing remoteness of the countryside http://www.the-column.co.uk/15.php http://www.the-column.co.uk/15.php The life and times of the much maligned Guy Fawkes http://www.the-column.co.uk/14.php http://www.the-column.co.uk/14.php The soap opera proceedings of the 2004 US elections http://www.the-column.co.uk/13.php http://www.the-column.co.uk/13.php The inequalities which burden my existence http://www.the-column.co.uk/12.php http://www.the-column.co.uk/12.php The trouble with sensationalist journalism http://www.the-column.co.uk/11.php http://www.the-column.co.uk/11.php The truth about our patron saint Saint George http://www.the-column.co.uk/10.php http://www.the-column.co.uk/10.php The use of psychometric testing in job applications http://www.the-column.co.uk/9.php http://www.the-column.co.uk/9.php Society's total and utter dependence on mobile phones http://www.the-column.co.uk/8.php http://www.the-column.co.uk/8.php The (ir)relevance of the British Book Awards http://www.the-column.co.uk/7.php http://www.the-column.co.uk/7.php The phenomenon of supermarket trolley rage http://www.the-column.co.uk/6.php http://www.the-column.co.uk/6.php The real issue with public voting http://www.the-column.co.uk/5.php http://www.the-column.co.uk/5.php The history behind the festival of Easter and how the date is decided http://www.the-column.co.uk/4.php http://www.the-column.co.uk/4.php The plight of man in modern society http://www.the-column.co.uk/3.php http://www.the-column.co.uk/3.php The history of Saint Valentine's Day http://www.the-column.co.uk/2.php http://www.the-column.co.uk/2.php How to be a good citizen in modern society http://www.the-column.co.uk/1.php http://www.the-column.co.uk/1.php The joys of returning unwanted Christmas gifts