Archive for January, 2011
Why do workers go on strike?
January 31st, 2011 by Roger Darlington
There’s a short discussion of this question on the BBC web site here – and my brother is quoted.
Posted in British current affairs | Comments (0)
Tony Blair’s “A Journey” (3)
January 31st, 2011 by Roger Darlington
I continue to read “A Journey” by Tony Blair. One the recurrent themes of the first half of the book is his New Labour passion for reform – or “modernisation” as he calls it – of public services: education, health, welfare, criminal justice and the civil service. He writes: “My boundless, at times rather manic […]
Posted in British current affairs | Comments (0)
My offer to become a London Ambassador (1)
January 30th, 2011 by Roger Darlington
As I mentioned in a blog posting six months ago, I registered my interest in becoming one of the 8,000 London Ambassadors who will welcome visitors from all over the world to the city during the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games. Applications opened on 21 January and close on 28 February so, this weekend, I […]
Posted in My life & thoughts | Comments (2)
The Arab world in turmoil (1)
January 29th, 2011 by Roger Darlington
This week, my evening class in International Relations was intensely topical. Our lecturer Dr Dale Mineshima-Lowe had devised the course schedule weeks ago but this week the topic was Africa with particularly reference to three countries. First, Somalia. We discussed the efforts of the Transitional Federal Government created in 2004 to establish order and governance […]
Posted in World current affairs | Comments (1)
Sat hello to my first grandchild (5)
January 28th, 2011 by Roger Darlington
By popular demand, I offer you some further photographs of my darling granddaughter Catrin: In her special car seat Thinking in the bath “Who is this funny man?” It is Day 12 in Catrin’s life and today I visited her for the third time. She told me that mum and dad are doing a great […]
Posted in My life & thoughts | Comments (4)
How to feed the world
January 27th, 2011 by Roger Darlington
This week Foresight – the British Government’s futures think tank – published a report entitled “Global Food and Farming Futures” which examines how a rapidly expanding global population can be fed in a healthy and sustainable way. The report finds that the existing food system is failing half of the people on Earth, with 1 […]
Posted in Environment | Comments (0)
World health over the last two centuries …
January 26th, 2011 by Roger Darlington
… explained in just four minutes here. The clip is from a BBC4 television programme called “The Joy Of Statistics” which I enjoyed when it was broadcast a few weeks ago.
Posted in History | Comments (0)
How to cope with unemployment
January 25th, 2011 by Roger Darlington
One of the most visited sections of my web site is the one on Life Skills which covers a wide range of topics with very practical and very snappy bits of advice. The latest subject to be covered – the 30th in the series – is unfortunately very topical: How to cope with unemployment.
Posted in Miscellaneous | Comments (0)
Internet Champions at BT Tower
January 24th, 2011 by Roger Darlington
Today I attended an award ceremony staged by Age UK with the support of BT. The awards were to four Internet Champions and they were presented by Communications Minister Ed Vaizey. The Government’s Digital Champion Martha Lane Fox spoke as well. You can read the inspiring stories of the winners here. The event was held […]
Posted in Internet | Comments (0)
Remembering the Kurdish part of Iraq
January 23rd, 2011 by Roger Darlington
We hear all the time about terrible things continuing to take place in Iraq and the frustrations of governing this difficult country. But one part of the nation – the Kurds in the north – is making real progress, as explained by my friend Gary Kent. Imagine a place where shopkeepers leave their stock on […]
Posted in World current affairs | Comments (0)