Archive for December, 2011
What does “auld lang syne” actually mean?
December 31st, 2011 by Roger Darlington
At midnight, many of us will be attempting to sing “Auld Lang Syne”. But what on earth do these words mean? Literally they mean ‘old long since’. Less literally, they mean ‘long long ago’. More information here.
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My 50 years writing a daily diary
December 31st, 2011 by Roger Darlington
On 31 December 1961, I started to write a diary – and never stopped. So today marks the 50 year mark with an entry for every single day. If you’re curious, that’s 18,260 days! You might think that 31 December – rather than 1 January – is an odd date to start a diary. The […]
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The day I was zapped by a laser in both eyes
December 30th, 2011 by Roger Darlington
As if we have not had enough trauma this Christmas with having to put our cat to sleep and my sister-in-law being admitted to hospital (she’s still there), I had to spend three hours at Moorfields Eye Hospital in London this afternoon. It was a scheduled appointment – the first I could obtain – after […]
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What can we expect in 2012?
December 30th, 2011 by Roger Darlington
BBC correspondents make their predictions here. I’ve been wondering if I should up-grade my iPhone 1 and iPad 1, so I’m excited at the prospect next year of the iPhone 5 and the iPad 3.
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A review of “Another Earth”
December 29th, 2011 by Roger Darlington
I doubt very much that you will see this film at the cinema. As a small independent movie, it will have a very limited release. But buy or rent the DVD or watch out for it on television, because it is a wonderfully original work that will really make you think. You can read my […]
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Did I ever tell you about my strange but wonderful family?
December 29th, 2011 by Roger Darlington
I have a step-mother who is only five years older than my wife and a half-brother who is only two years older than my son. And I have a niece who is just seven years older than my granddaughter. Plus I have a sister-in-law who is a mere 10 minutes younger than my wife. It’s […]
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Why celebrities need a better understanding of science
December 28th, 2011 by Roger Darlington
Because otherwise they are tempted to support products or processes that have no scientific merit or validity. For instance, I’m a real fan of Gwyneth Paltrow as an actress but she is wasting her time and ours promoting the notion of detox which is simply unnecessary if one has a balanced diet. Each year, the […]
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How was your Christmas?
December 26th, 2011 by Roger Darlington
Vee and I spent Christmas with her twin sister Mari and brother-in-law Derek at their home in the village of Felpham on the coast in West Sussex, just outside Bognor Regis. Now Felpham may only have a population of around 10,000, but it is well-endowed, having a community hall, two post offices, and no less […]
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The best Christmas cracker jokes
December 26th, 2011 by Roger Darlington
What happened to the hyena who swallowed an Oxo cube? He made a laughing stock of himself. In which country can’t you use cash? The cheque republic! What do you call a chicken in a shell suit? An egg. How do you stay cool at a football match? Stand next to a fan! What’s the […]
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A review of “Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol”
December 23rd, 2011 by Roger Darlington
It was 1996 when Tom Cruise first took Ethan Hunt and the Impossible Mission Force from the small screen to the big screen and 15 years later this is his fourth outing, but he still looks good at 49. For this operation, he is accompanied by Jeremy Renner (“The Hurt Locker”) as Brandt, Paula Patton […]
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