Articles written by Paul Cowan

Advanced Search

What is Helium

About me - Paul Cowan

Former journalist

+ more bio information

RSS Feed

Politics, News & Issues > Politics in the Middle & Near East Achieving democracy in all the Middle East countries: 1 of 18
A French journalist, observing the first municipal council elections in the Arab Gulf State of Qatar a few years ago remarked penetratingly: "This is not democracy: democracy is not granted by a Ruler, it is taken by the People."That was, of course, a very French idea, and a very revolutionary one. But it is also true. And Qa... More..
Religion & Spirituality > Atheism & Agnosticism Why atheism and morality are not incompatible: 3 of 40
To understand why atheism is no impediment to morality, we have to think about what we mean by morals. There are many definitions, but in essence morality is a code of conduct defining acceptable behavior.There are two reasons why atheism is not incompatible with moral behavior: firstly, it is not necessary to be a member of ... More..
Religion & Spirituality > Religion & Spirituality (Other) Comparing the three monotheistic religions in the Middle East: 1 of 9
The Holy Trinity is a purely Christian concept but the words, describing three different manifestations of a single God, perfectly describe the three great monotheistic religions.Judaism, Christianity and Islam are inseparable.Jesus, of course, was a Jew, and it seems doubtful that He thought of the movement He led as being a... More..
Arts & Humanities > Ancient History Interesting facts about Julius Caesar: 2 of 14
Julius Caesar is one of the most imposing figures in European history. He was a brilliant politician, s superb orator, a wonderfully lucid author and a military genius.* Julius Gaius Caesar was probably born in 100BC, the year is a little uncertain and it could have been 102 or 101.* The phrase "Caesarian section" comes from ... More..
Politics, News & Issues > Politics in the Middle & Near East Why oil plays an enormous role in the Middle East conflicts: 1 of 7
Oil certainly greases the wheels of the war machines in the Middle East. It is, almost by default, a central issue in any modern confrontation between the states in the region. But it does not lie at the root of the problems of the Arab World.Even a brief survey of the history of the Middle East shows that most of today's con... More..
Arts & Humanities > Photography Pros and cons of mega memory cards: 1 of 5
Mega memory cards are a real boon for professional photographers but may be of limited use to the amateur. As with everything in life, it is wise to get the thing that meets your needs, without wasting money on features that you don't need.The idea that 512 gigabytes is the threshold between and "ordinary" digital memory card... More..
Arts & Humanities > Ancient History The spread of the Hellenistic culture: 1 of 5
Hellenistic culture is the legacy of Alexander the Great. He did not spread it (how could he when the Hellenistic era only began with his death?) but it was his conquests that planted the seeds of it.Hellenization was the process by which the Greek language and culture penetrated and intermingled with the cultures of Egypt, P... More..
Arts & Humanities > Citizen Journalism Are citizen journalists more trustworthy than professional journalists?: 3 of 14
Show me a "citizen journalist" and I will show you somebody who is either pushing a personal agenda or just writing for the fun of it. The first type of writer champions every rumor that agrees with his or her big idea; the second kind is a butterfly, skipping from topic to topic and sipping the nectar of ideas without ever g... More..
Politics, News & Issues > International Politics (Other) Are developing countries better served by male or female leaders?: 2 of 9
The Third World is awash with examples of women leaders. Countries where women are held in such low esteem that baby girls are murdered have been happy to adore a female leader.The first woman premier was Sirimavo Bandaranaike in Sri Lanka (formerly Ceylon), who came to power in 1960 and was prime minister on three different ... More..
Arts & Humanities > Photography Tips for avoiding blurred photographs: 3 of 12
Two great black cormorants flew low over the sea towards the Arabian coast, a twisting flight accompanied by screams of abuse. The bird in the lead had a huge, eel-like silver beltfish in its beak, the other was trying to steal it.They flopped into the water, right in front of my camera and fought for a few more seconds until... More..