A new money advice service

April 7th, 2011 by Roger Darlington

If you live in the UK and ever need help with financial matters, you will be interested to hear that this week a new Money Advice Service opened with the backing of the Financial Services Authority. You can access the web site here.

Posted in Consumer matters | Comments (0)

“Rocks will melt in the sun …”

April 7th, 2011 by Roger Darlington

I was talking to a Scottish colleague this week and she quoted the leader of the Scottish Nationalist Party Alex Salmond as insisting that “rocks will melt in the sun” before he introduces university tuition fees for Scottish students.

I had not heard this phraseology before and clearly it is so colourful that it did not originate with a politician. When I inquired, I was advised that it comes from a poem by Robert Burns.

Checking this out later, I find that the poem is “A Red, Red Rose” and you can read the full text here.

I suppose that the most common equivalent phrase to the assertion that “rocks will melt in the sun” before something unexpected happens would be “Hell will freeze over” before something occurs. Can you think of similar expressions?

Posted in Cultural issues | Comments (3)

Obama to run again

April 6th, 2011 by Roger Darlington

As long-term readers of NightHawk will know, I backed Barack Obama for the US Presidency from the moment he was elected to the Congress.

I first blogged about Obama in April 2004. Then I blogged 11 times on the Illinois Senate race which he won in November 2004. In my last posting on that election, I wrote:

“I was delighted to see Barack Obama become the junior senator for Illinois and the only black member of the new Senate. This blog has been tracking his progress for many months. He is an able and inspiring politician who is destined to go far and maybe even as far as the White House one day.”

So I backed Obama for President four years before he was elected and I was pleased – but totally unsurprised, of course – to hear him declare this week his candidacy for a second term. Understandably 2012 is going to be very different from 2008.

On the plus side, the charge that he is an inexperienced newcomer to Washington, the suggestion that a black man cannot be elected to the White House, the allegation that he would be weak in defending America’s interests abroad, the need to defeat a strong Democratic candidate in the shape of Hillary Clinton – all of these factors no longer apply.

On the down side, the excitement of a new, fresh face (and a black one at that) and the novelty of his inspirational oratory are no longer valid. Also the realities of being in office and the lacklustre record in the eyes of liberal Democrats mean that there will not be the passionate support that he garnered last time round.

In fact, given the constitutional obstacles, the record is a good one and the reform of healthcare alone is a major achievement. In the end, the performance of the economy will be decisive. Unemployment is falling but is still likely to be higher next year than when he took office. In politics, it is often the direction of travel, more than the precise statistic, that is all-important.

Also the Republicans have yet to find a credible opponent. So, all things considered, Obama should win an second term. I certainly hope he does and that the absence of any further election will make him bolder in his second four years, although what he can do legislatively will be heavily circumscribed by Congress.

Posted in American current affairs | Comments (1)

Out of the mouths of babes

April 5th, 2011 by Roger Darlington

I saw my darling granddaughter Catrin again today. I took her out in the pram for an hour and a half to give her mum a break and me some fun time. In fact, she slept most of the time but, when she was awake, I had some more wonderful smiles.

She’s some way from making meaningful sounds yet, but my attention has been drawn to a great video clip of twin baby boys having a prolonged ‘conversation’ consisting entirely of baby sounds. Check it out here.

Posted in Miscellaneous, My life & thoughts | Comments (1)

Word of the day: sesquicentennial

April 4th, 2011 by Roger Darlington

The word refers to a period of 150 years or the 150th anniversary of an event. We are about to commemorate in a week’s time the 150th anniversary of a major historic event, so you will see the word used and reports on the anniversary – remember where you saw it first.

The event I am thinking of occurred on 12 April 1861. It was the Battle of Fort Sumter which started the bloody, four-year American Civil War.

Posted in Cultural issues, History | Comments (0)

Happy Mothers Day to all you mums

April 3rd, 2011 by Roger Darlington

In the UK, it’s Mothers Day and I want to send special good wishes to my daughter-in-law Emily who is celebrating her first Mothers Day. Eleven weeks ago, she gave birth to my first grandchild Catrin who is doing great and is an absolute delight.

My own mother died 12 years ago and I still miss her very much. You can read the eulogy that I delivered at her funeral here.

Posted in My life & thoughts | Comments (0)

The Arabic singing of Fairuz and Ilham

April 2nd, 2011 by Roger Darlington

When I travel abroad, I often like to bring back some local music. In the course of my recent visit to Syria and Lebanon, I bought CDs by two very popular Arabic singers and I’ve been listening to them again today.

The first singer is called Fairuz – her actual name is Nouhad Wadi Haddad and she is Lebanese. The CD that I have been listening to is called “The Very Best Of Fairuz”.

The second singer is Ilham – his full name is Ilham al-Madfai and he is Iraqi. The CD that I have been listening to is called “The Voice Of Iraq”.

Both of them are wonderful performers who are incredibly popular throughout the Middle East and I commend them to you if you have not come across them.

Posted in Cultural issues | Comments (0)

Who started the Arab revolutions?

April 2nd, 2011 by Roger Darlington

Transformative historical events usually have profound, long-term causes but can be initiated by an incident or spark. Think of the First World War which was started by the assassination of the Archduke Ferdinand in Sarajevo.

The last three months have seen amazing events in the Arab nations of north Africa and the Middle East. Tunisia, Egypt, Libya, Yemen, Bahrain, Syria … The revolutions are not over, more changes are to come, and we will not know the full implications for years or even decades.

The underlying causes of this Arab Awakening include dictatorial regimes in power for decades, growing nepotism and corruption, increases in those obtaining higher education, substantial youth unemployment, rising food prices and falling living standards, the ability to communicate and organise provided by social media on the Internet, and the confidence taken from experience in other countries as shown on satellite television.

But what was it that actually set off this incredible chain of events? It was the self-immolation of a desperate man in Tunisia. His name was Mohamed Bouazizi and his name will be in the history books. You can find out more about him here.

Posted in World current affairs | Comments (3)