Archive for August, 2011
Ever seen locks of love?
August 24th, 2011 by Roger Darlington
“By mid afternoon, it was raining but – like the true Brits that they are – Roger & Silvia had umbrellas and kept going, determined to see as much as possible of the city. We left the Old Town and wandered around a park centred on the City Canal. The iron bridges over the canal […]
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What are the most popular first names in America?
August 23rd, 2011 by Roger Darlington
Each Mother’s Day in the United States, the Commissioner of Social Security publishes the most popular baby names based on all social security card applications for children born the previous year. The latest available lists of the top ten boys’ and girls’ names, relating to the year 2010, are as follows: Position Boys Girls 1 […]
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What are the most popular first names in Britain?
August 23rd, 2011 by Roger Darlington
Of course, names change in popularity. According to the data compiled annually by the Office of National Statistics (ONS), the most popular names for children born in England & Wales during 2010 were as follows: Position Boys Girls 1 Oliver Olivia 2 Jack Sophie 3 Harry Emily 4 Alfie Lily 5 Charlie Amelia 6 Thomas […]
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A review of “Blue Valentine”
August 21st, 2011 by Roger Darlington
If you’re looking for a rom-com movie, this definitely isn’t it. But, if you’re looking for a mature work about the struggle to sustain a relationship, this is well worth seeing. I’ve reviewed it here.
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How consumers and citizens make choices
August 20th, 2011 by Roger Darlington
Some of the reading I’ve done recently has made me think more about how and why people make decisions in the economic and non-economic spaces. This has led me to write an essay for my web site entitled “How Consumers And Citizens Make Choices”. You can read it here.
Posted in Consumer matters, Social policy | Comments (0)
The story of alphabets in 5 minutes
August 19th, 2011 by Roger Darlington
On the BBC web site here.
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Would contact with extraterrestrials benefit or harm humanity?
August 19th, 2011 by Roger Darlington
As we approach the weekend, when you will have time to ponder on all the troubles facing the world at present, you might want to add this question to your list of concerns. You will, no doubt, be reassured to know that the issue is the subject of a new report from Shawn Domagal-Goldman of […]
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A review of “A Tale Of Two Cities” (2)
August 18th, 2011 by Roger Darlington
Having read the book, I’ve now seen the film and reviewed it here.
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Whatever happened to the Soviet Union?
August 18th, 2011 by Roger Darlington
Twenty years ago today, there was an attempted coup in the then USSR as the leadership of reformer Mikhail Gorbachev was challenged. The coup did not succeed but set in train events that led months later to the break-up of the Soviet Union into no less than 15 separate states. How have those states fared […]
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A review of “A Tale Of Two Cities” (1)
August 17th, 2011 by Roger Darlington
I can’t remember the last time I read an English classic novel so I decided to take the opportunity of a quiet August to tackle a couple. “A Tale Of Two Cities” by Dickens is a delight and I’ve reviewed it here.
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