My Christmas gift to you
December 26th, 2021 by Roger Darlington
It’s my latest short story entitled “After Life” which you can read here.
To access all my short stories click here
If you would like to have my short stories in book form, you can purchase “The Rooms In My Mind” for a very modest price on Amazon click here
Posted in My life & thoughts | Comments (0)
Life at the moment feels like a waiting game
December 20th, 2021 by Roger Darlington
I’m waiting to see if …
… England enters into some kind of fourth lockdown to combat the impact of the Omicron variant of the corona virus
… the western nations will honour their undertakings to provide anti-covid vaccines to the developing nations so that we reduce the incidence of deaths, illness and new variants
… Prime Minister Boris Johnson will be pushed out of office for his serial lying and gross incompetence
… President Joe Biden can somehow persuade the US Congress to approve his infrastructure bill
… Russia invades Ukraine and, if so, how far will the Russians advance and what will be the death toll
… China invades Taiwan and, if so, what will be the American reaction and the consequences for the world
… Israel launches bombing raids on Iran to prevent the latter acquiring a nuclear capability
Posted in My life & thoughts | Comments (0)
A review of the new blockbuster “Spider-Man: No Way Home”
December 19th, 2021 by Roger Darlington
After almost two years of the global pandemic, demand was high for a new Marvel movie and, if I wanted to see it in IMAX on the opening weekend, to secure a decent seat I had to attend the showing at 8 am on the Sunday morning. But it was worth it to forget the Omicron variant for a couple of hours and enjoy a genuinely entertaining spin on the Spidey story.
First, we had three “Spider-Man” movies directed by Sam Raimi with Tobey Maguire in the eponymous role; then we had two “Amazing Spider-Man” films helmed by Marc Web with Andrew Garfield as the titular super-hero; now we have third offering from director Jon Watts with the third representation of the arachnidic super-hero played by Tom Holland.
What’s new in the reel world is that, as revealed in an end of credits clip last time, the identity of Spider-Man is now public knowledge and what’s new in the real world, as revealed by the media, is that Holland (Peter Parker) is now in an actual relationship with Zendaya (Michelle Jones aka MJ).
Doctor Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch) tries to sort out the exposure of Spider-Man’s identity, but finds that meddling with the multiverse can bring all sorts of earlier characters in the franchise crashing into the here and now, providing all kinds of set-ups, both threatening and amusing. As always, stay for the two clips in the middle of and at the very end of the credits.
Posted in Cultural issues | Comments (0)
The grim record of covid deaths in the United States
December 15th, 2021 by Roger Darlington
The US death toll from Covid-19 has passed 800,000, a once-unimaginable figure seen as doubly tragic given that more than 200,000 of those lives were lost after vaccines became available last spring. The figure represents the highest reported toll of any country in the world and is likely to be even higher.
The US accounts for approximately 4% of the world’s population but about 15% of the 5.3 million known deaths from coronavirus since the outbreak began in China two years ago.The grim milestone comes as the world braces for a rise in cases of the new Omicron variant, with the World Health Organisation (WHO) warning it is spreading at an unprecedented rate.
The deadly milestone comes as cases and hospitalisations are on the rise again in the US, driven by the highly contagious Delta variant, with the new variant Omicron posing a fresh threat. About 200 million Americans are vaccinated, or just over 60% of the population. That is well short of what scientists say is needed to keep the virus in check.
Posted in American current affairs, Science & technology | Comments (0)
A review of the award-winning Japanese film “After Life”
December 11th, 2021 by Roger Darlington
I only heard of this 1998 Japanese film some two decades after its release when I saw a play based on it performed at London’s National Theatre. Coincidentally, just a few months later, the film was shown as part of a Japanese season at the British Film Institute which is next door to the theatre so naturally I took the opportunity to see it.
Written, directed and edited by Hirokazu Kore-eda, it has a wonderful plot device: when people die, they find themselves in a kind of limbo where they have to chose their happiest memory which will then be reconstructed for them and be their sole/soul memory for the rest of eternity. The work explores what we remember and why and how we recall and reconstruct our memories.
The film has a minimalist look: shot in black and white in one nondescript building, the whole operation – especially the recreation of the chosen memories – is low-key and amateurish. It looks like a documentary which is not surprising: Kore-eda started his career as a maker of television documentaries, some of the interviews are selected from more than 500 that he shot in development of the film, and even the fictional interviews are sometimes improvised.
It is a gentle and delightful work which nevertheless poses some existential questions.
Posted in Cultural issues | Comments (0)
Do you have any nicknames? Would you like to know three of mine?
December 10th, 2021 by Roger Darlington
When I was a lad, there was a popular comic called “The Beano” and one of the regular characters in that was a young boy called “Roger the Dodger”. Inevitably, I was often called that.
When I started my working life, it was at the then Polytechnic of North London where I was the Accommodation Officer. My colleagues called me “Roger the Lodger Man”.
The main part of my career was working as an official for a trade union that represented telecommunications technicians. One of my secretaries dubbed me “Roger Diallingtone”.
If you’re interested in names, I’ve written an essay on naming practices around the world which you can access here.
Posted in My life & thoughts | Comments (1)
A review of the samurai film “47 Ronin”
December 9th, 2021 by Roger Darlington
A ronin is a samurai without a lord. In early 18th century Japan, 47 ronin sought to avenge the death of their master knowing that, even if they survived the endeavour, they would be put to death for breaching the authority of the shogun.
This true story is very well-known to all Japanese because of the sense of nobility that it coveys and it has been represented in many films, plays and even an opera. This 2013 Hollywood version of the Ako incident invents a mixed-race character with special powers played by Keanu Reeves who looks the part and brings his reputation for few words and much action to this fantasy adventure movie.
The film went down badly in Japan, even though most of the actors are Japanese, because the narrative differs so much from the traditional tale. It did little better outside Japan because the one star, Reeves, was not a sufficient draw (this was before his “John Wick” movies). But, on a cold winter’s evening in front of a television, it proved watchable enough for two hours.
Posted in Cultural issues | Comments (0)
What’s the most fearful Christmas that you can imagine?
December 5th, 2021 by Roger Darlington
Something to do with the global pandemic? Perhaps evidence that the newly-discovered Omicron variant is more transmissible, more virulent and more resistant to current vaccines than all previous variants.
Something to do with weather, climate or geology? Perhaps something on the scale of the tsunami of Boxing Day 2004 which killed a quarter of a million people in 14 countries.
Let me offer you a different thought which was put to me in a recent conversation. A Russian invasion of Ukraine. A Chinese invasion of Taiwan. Simultaneously. Over the Christmas holiday when western governments are largely closed down.
Russia regards Ukraine as historically its territory which is highly contestable. China views Taiwan as historically its territory which it undoubtedly was.
The armed forces of the Ukraine could not resist a Russian invasion and there is little evidence that the West would do more than impose tighter sanctions. On the other hand, the Taiwanese would probably fight back against a wartime invasion but would only last a short while unless US bombers were deployed in force.
Biden’s rushed withdrawal of all American forces from Afghanistan has emboldened both Russian and China in their respective aspirations to regain ‘lost’ territory. If Russia succeeded in Ukraine, it might then turn to thinking of reoccupation of the Baltic States. If China succeeded in Taiwan, it would would then seek dominance of the South China Sea.
I am thoughtful of the remilitarisation of the Rhineland on 7 March 1936, when German military forces entered the region, which directly contravened international treaties. Neither France nor Britain was prepared for a military response, so they did not act. The rest is history …
Posted in World current affairs | Comments (1)
A review of the new French film “Petite Maman”
December 4th, 2021 by Roger Darlington
Just before the first lockdown in the long-running global pandemic, I saw the French-language “Portrait Of A Lady On Fire” which I loved. In spite of covid restrictions, the same team has now managed to produce the low-budget “Petite Maman” which I was quick to see while it was still in cinemas.
Again it is both written and directed by Céline Sciamma with cinematography by Claire Mathon. Again the two leading roles are females who establish a loving relationship. Again almost all the supporting roles are for women too. Truly Sciamma is the master of the female gaze.
What is different this time is that the main characters are eight year old girls with one insisting that she is the daughter of the other. The two actors are twins, Joséphine and Gabrielle Sanz, and they are so alike that helpfully Sciamma – who usually does her own costumes – has colour-coded their clothing. So is this fantasy or a dream or just a clever narrative device? Any way the film is enchanting – and, at a mere 73 minutes, a little gem.
Posted in Cultural issues | Comments (0)
If a substantial sum of money unexpectedly appeared in your bank account, what would you do?
December 4th, 2021 by Roger Darlington
This is what happened in August 2020 to Helen Peters [not her real name] when she found that Her Majesty’s Revenues & Customs (HMRC) deposited in her bank account the sum of £774,839.39. She decided to wait and see what would happen but found herself spending almost £20,000 before contacting a newspaper to ask what she should do. It’s in the news today.
A similar thing happened to me in November 1980. At the time, I was banking with Barclays before I withdrew my account in protest at the bank’s involvement in apartheid South Africa. My account suddenly showed a deposit of £324,610.00. I paid it back in days. But it was fun while it lasted.
Posted in British current affairs, My life & thoughts | Comments (0)