Archive for June, 2009
Words of the day: placebo and nocebo
June 15th, 2009 by Roger Darlington
A placebo is an intervention that makes a person feel better even though nothing medical or scientific has actually been done – further information here. A nocebo is an intervention that makes a person feel worse even though nothing medical or scientific has actually been done – further information here. The placebo effect (and the […]
Posted in Cultural issues | Comments (0)
The shame of Iran (1)
June 14th, 2009 by Roger Darlington
The Shah of Iran was a brutal dictator whose secret police were outrageously cruel. But the Islamic Republic is failing to deliver the economic prosperity and political freedoms which so many Iranians desire. The presidential election was an extraordinary event with vigorous campaigning, huge rallies and a dramatic television debate between the two main candidates. […]
Posted in World current affairs | Comments (0)
A ceramicist on the Hill
June 14th, 2009 by Roger Darlington
Vee and I live at the foot of Harrow-on-the-Hill, a charming and historic corner of north-west London. This weekend, the area hosted an annual event known as Harrow Open Studios when the work of 30 or so local artists is displayed to the visiting public in a variety of locations. One of our dear friends […]
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PMR-GCA: making a real difference
June 13th, 2009 by Roger Darlington
My friend Mavis Smith – whom I visited on a recent trip to Gateshead – has had a tough retirement because of her Polymyalgia Rheumatica (PMR) and Giant Cell Arteritis (GCA). But she hasn’t let it get her down; instead she’s become Chair of a support group for those with PMR-GCA in the North-East of […]
Posted in Miscellaneous | Comments (0)
The popularity of “Jai Ho”
June 13th, 2009 by Roger Darlington
I really enjoyed the film “Slumdog Millionaire” [my review here] and later read the book on which the movie was based [my review here]. The music for the film was excellent and I was bought the CD by my wife. Especially joyous is the final song “Jai Ho”. Now, three and a half months ago, […]
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How does Brain Gym work?
June 12th, 2009 by Roger Darlington
I’ve just started reading “Bad Science” by Ben Goldacre. An early target of the book is a movement called Brain Gym which is practised in many schools in Britain and various institutions around the world. Goldacre calls it “so obviously, transparently foolish”. So how does Brain Gym work exactly? Well, let’s go to the official […]
Posted in Science & technology | Comments (0)
What’s the most expensive public toilet in the world?
June 11th, 2009 by Roger Darlington
Some time ago I blogged about the most expensive cup of coffee in the world. Today I have a new concern: the most expensive public toilet in the world. Now, of course, many toilets are free to use. But charging for women started with the addition of locks in the UK and gave rise to […]
Posted in Miscellaneous | Comments (3)
The wonder of the English language
June 10th, 2009 by Roger Darlington
According to the Global Language Monitor on this day at this time the English vocabulary will acquire its one millionth word. It’s nonsense of course – nobody knows how many words there are today in the English language and this particular organisation has forecast on several occasions that different dates will see the arrival of […]
Posted in Cultural issues | Comments (2)
Word of the day: synecdoche
June 9th, 2009 by Roger Darlington
Synecdoche is a figure of speech in which a part is used for the whole (as hand for sailor), the whole for a part (as the law for police officer), the specific for the general (as cutthroat for assassin), the general for the specific (as thief for pickpocket), or the material for the thing made […]
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Who was Thomas Paine?
June 8th, 2009 by Roger Darlington
Arguably he was the Englishman who has had the most influence on world affairs while combining the least recognition among today’s English. He played a key intellectual role in both the American Revolution and the French Revolution and can be seen as one of the founders of the modern democratic state. Today is the 200th […]
Posted in History | Comments (0)