Archive for February, 2009
Forgotten World (164): Mauritius
February 19th, 2009 by Roger Darlington
Mauritius is a volcanic island of lagoons and palm-fringed beaches in the Indian Ocean which has a reputation for stability and racial harmony among its mixed population of one and a quarter million Asians, Europeans and Africans. Various cultures and traditions flourish in peace, although Mauritian Creoles, descendants of African slaves who make up a […]
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Well done, Duffy
February 18th, 2009 by Roger Darlington
The last CD that I bought was “Rockferry” by the young Welsh singer Duffy – I especially love the track “Mercy”. Her singing reminds me of the late, great Dusty Springfield. So I’m delighted that, in this evening’s Brit Awards, Duffy won three times: Best British Female, Best British Album and Best British Breakthrough Act. […]
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Forgotten World (163): Central African Republic
February 18th, 2009 by Roger Darlington
The Central African Republic (CAR) has been unstable since its independence from France in 1960 and is one of the least-developed countries in the world. It has endured several coups and a notorious period under a self-declared emperor, Jean-Bedel Bokassa, who headed a brutal regime which ended in 1979. Today General François Bozizé, president and […]
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The smartest guys in the room
February 17th, 2009 by Roger Darlington
I’ve only just seen the 2005 documentary film “Enron: The Smartest Guys In The Room” [my review here]. There’s special chill in seeing this work through the prism on the recent collapse in the global banking system. It makes you realise that, while the guys at the top of Enron may have been particularly creative/crooked, […]
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Forgotten World (162): Bahamas
February 17th, 2009 by Roger Darlington
The Bahamas is an archipelago of 700 islands and islets in the Caribbean. It only has a population of around 330,000 but it attracts millions of tourists each year to enjoy its mild climate, fine beaches and beautiful forests. A former British colony and now a Commonwealth member, the country is a major centre for […]
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What have you been up to?!?
February 16th, 2009 by Roger Darlington
As you know, this blog is called NightHawk so, if you’re a regular visitor, I guess that you are a Nighthawker. But, thanks to my friend Nick Hobson, I find from this article that, in a very different context, “nighthawking” is a bad thing. It seems that: “Nighthawking is defined as the search and removal […]
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Forgotten World (161): Albania
February 16th, 2009 by Roger Darlington
It’s time to have another week of postings in my long-running series called Forgotten World – a look at parts of the world that hardly feature in our media or thoughts. You can check the previous 160 entries here. After World War II, Albania became a Stalinist state under Enver Hoxha, and remained staunchly isolationist […]
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Have you read them all?
February 15th, 2009 by Roger Darlington
In my home, I have approaching 2,000 books – probably not that unusual for someone who is both middle-class and middle-aged. But some visitors to our house – especially some rather cheeky young relatives – sometimes ask me: “Have you read them all?” Of course, I haven’t – not least because a proportion of them […]
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The English language
February 14th, 2009 by Roger Darlington
We’ll begin with a box, and the plural is boxes, But the plural of ox becomes oxen, not oxes. One fowl is a goose, but two are called geese, Yet the plural of moose should never be meese. You may find a lone mouse or a nest full of mice, Yet the plural of house […]
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Happy Valentine’s Day
February 14th, 2009 by Roger Darlington
I hope that you’re spending it with your loved one. My Valentine of the past 27 years – my wife Vee – bought me a card and a little present – the soundtrack CD to the film “Slumdog Millionaire” [see my review of the movie here]. This evening, I’ll be taking Vee for dinner at […]
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