Remembering the Japanese tsunami
June 18th, 2011 by Roger Darlington
Three months after a giant tsunami devastated the north-east coast of Japan, what does the location look like? Check out these remarkable photographs.
Posted in World current affairs | Comments (1)
That was the week that was
June 17th, 2011 by Roger Darlington
As a semi-retired portfolio worker, my weeks are very varied, but this week was an exceptionally full and interesting one.
On Monday, I travelled from London up to Manchester. I spent the afternoon with my step-mother and the evening with my brother, his partner and their daughter who is almost eight now.
On Tuesday, I went down from Manchester to Swanwick in Derbyshire to address a conference of the Church + Media Network on the subject of Internet regulation [my blog posting here].
On Wednesday, I was at Ofcom all day to attend a meeting of the Communications Consumer Panel on which I have now served for more than seven years.
On Thursday, I looked after my granddaughter for the whole day [my blog posting here]. Then I went off to Bristol where I had dinner with friends who recently moved from the London area to Bristol and will have their first child in a couple of months.
Today, still in Bristol, I addressed the biennial conference of the trade union Connect which represents professional and managerial staff in the telecommunications industry. I gave a speech outlining future trends in the communications sector.
In the course of all this travelling, I’ve read over half of a new book about the Internet called “The Shallows”.
Good job I’m retired, eh?
Posted in My life & thoughts | Comments (0)
A whole day looking after my baby granddaughter
June 17th, 2011 by Roger Darlington
My new granddaughter Catrin is now exactly five months old. I’ve seen her most weeks, but usually just for a couple of hours when I’ve often taken her out in her pram or more latterly buggy. On two evenings, I have babysat with her to allow her parents to go out together.
This week marked a new development, however, when I looked after her for a full day while both her parents were at work. I was with her almost six hours and alone with her for five hours.
When she woke from her mid-morning nap, I fed her a four-course brunch: baby rice with milk, sweet potato, pear, and papaya, all interspersed with water and finished off with milk. It was slow and messy but she ate it all. Then I changed her nappy and dressed her in a summer outfit.
I took her out for quite a while and we visited the London Sea Life Aquarium. She loved it, her little eyes darting around in amazement as she followed the movement of the colourful fishes. She is such a sweetie.
Posted in My life & thoughts | Comments (1)
Which are the worst countries in the world for a woman?
June 15th, 2011 by Roger Darlington
- Afghanistan
- Democratic Republic of Congo
- Pakistan
- India
- Somalia
Further information here.
Posted in World current affairs | Comments (0)
Should the Internet be regulated?
June 14th, 2011 by Roger Darlington
I’ve just returned from an unusual venue for a humanist like me – a “Media Futures” conference organised by the Church + Media Network held in a location I’d never previously heard of (Swanick, near Afreton in Derbyshire).
I was there to debate the motion “The house would regulate the Internet”. The session was chaired by Elizabeth Hunter, Director of the think tank Theos, I support the motion and it was opposed by Claire Fox, Director of the think tank the Institute of Ideas.
I argued that the Internet is already regulated in a fashion and should be regulated a bit more, while broadcasting should be regulated rather a lot less to reflect the convergence of the Net and broadcasting.
For my speech, I drew material from my web site essays on “How the Internet could be regulated” and “How should we regulate content in a converged world?”.
The Chair took votes of the audience both before and after the debate to establish whether the arguments had changed minds. At the beginning of the debate, 21 were in favour of Internet regulation, 19 were opposed, and 16 did not know. At the conclusion of the debate, 29 supported regulation, 15 opposed it, and 6 were still undecided.
So, from a pretty even split of opinion, we went to two to one in favour of my position – which I think constitutes what in football parlance is termed a result.
Posted in Internet | Comments (3)
How long can Belgium manage without a government?
June 13th, 2011 by Roger Darlington
The short answer is: at least a year. It is now exactly one year since Belgium ceased to have a proper government and began muddling along with caretakers ministers. It doesn’t seem to bother Belgians – sorry, the Flemish and the Walloons – much but it does beg the question of whether Belgium can survive as a unitary state. More information here.
Posted in World current affairs | Comments (0)
How long can Lebanon manage without a government?
June 13th, 2011 by Roger Darlington
The short answer is: at least five months. Najib Mikati was appointed as Lebanon’s prime minister-designate on 25 January 2011. He was asked to form a new government after winning the support of a majority of members of parliament, but he still not managed to win agreement between the parties – yet one more unstable element in the swirling change of the Middle East. More information here.
Posted in World current affairs | Comments (0)
A sleepy day in Abingdon
June 12th, 2011 by Roger Darlington
This weekend, Vee and I made one of our regular trips to see our Chinese ‘family’: Zhihao & Hua and their four-year old son Joshua. They have just moved from Oxford to Abingdon and this was the first time that we had visited their new home.
Kung Fu Panda (aka Roger)
with an ‘angry’ little panda (aka Joshua)
We went into the town – claimed to be the oldest continuously inhabited in England – for a good lunch at the “Bath Street Bistro”.
Then Zhihao & Hua wanted to order some furniture for their new home and Vee was keen to assist them, so we went to a special furniture store on the edge of town. Meanwhile Roger & Joshua sat on a sofa in the store and read a children’s book. But the ordering of the furniture took so long that first Joshua and then Roger fell fast asleep and, before waking them, Hua took a photo which the store thought would make a great advertising picture.
Furniture shop advertising slogan:
“Our sofas are so comfortable that old and young alike can’t stay awake”
Posted in My life & thoughts | Comments (0)
A review of “Leo The African”
June 11th, 2011 by Roger Darlington
I had never heard of the writer Amin Maalouf until my recent visit to Lebanon and I had never heard of the historic figure Leo Africanus until I read this novel which I have reviewed here.
Posted in Cultural issues | Comments (0)
Baby Catrin: progress report (10)
June 11th, 2011 by Roger Darlington
Although a lot of times, I write on this blog about weighty political issues, I know that some of NightHawk’s readers are much more interested in what’s happening to my granddaughter Catrin. Well, she’s almost five months old now and continues to do really well.
Since she was born, I’ve managed to see her almost every week, including for a while this week. The real challenge comes on Thursday when I’ll be looking after her on my own all day. Then, the following day, she will go on her first foreign trip: a holiday in France when lots of her mother’s relatives will come over from Canada to see her.
“Who is this funny man who keeps coming to see me?
If I give him a little punch on the chin,
perhaps he’ll stop coming”.
“No chance, Catrin.”
Posted in My life & thoughts | Comments (2)