Archive for May, 2012
Don’t you just love the British weather?
May 23rd, 2012 by Roger Darlington
Some countries don’t have four seasons in a year; here in Britain we can have four seasons in a day. The weather is so variable that it is an ending source of – usually meaningless – conversation. After a really cold March and a real wet April, suddenly we are having a very hot May. […]
Posted in My life & thoughts | Comments (2)
25 handy words that simply don’t exist in English
May 20th, 2012 by Roger Darlington
English has a massive vocabulary – but it doesn’t have these words.
Posted in Cultural issues | Comments (0)
The treatment of water
May 19th, 2012 by Roger Darlington
I am really enjoying my new appointment as Chair of the Customer Challenge Group at South East Water [for details, see here]. The issues are complex but fascinating and my new colleagues are very professional and supportive. But you would not believe how much there is to learn. I’ve now been to the Snodland Head […]
Posted in Environment, My life & thoughts | Comments (1)
The case for social mobility
May 17th, 2012 by Roger Darlington
“If we want our children to have equal opportunities in life, reducing income inequality is the most important step we can take towards achieving that goal. Bigger income differences between rich and poor are a powerful constraint on social mobility, diminishing life chances for children from less privileged backgrounds and making a level playing field […]
Posted in British current affairs, Social policy | Comments (0)
A review of “The Remains Of The Day”
May 15th, 2012 by Roger Darlington
As I explained in this posting, for World Book Night 2012 I was chosen as a ‘giver’ and I selected as the book to donate to 24 others the Man Booker Prize-winning “The Remains Of The Day” by Kazuo Ishiguro. I have now read the novel myself and reviewed it here.
Posted in Cultural issues | Comments (0)
Free speech – American-style vs European-style
May 14th, 2012 by Roger Darlington
I’ve been discussing with friends the issue of free speech as it is understood in Britain and the United States. I’m sure that I’ll have some similar conversations when I visit the USA shortly. There is a cultural difference between the United States and Europe on freedom of speech which I believe has its roots […]
Posted in Miscellaneous, My life & thoughts | Comments (7)
Well done, Manchester City!
May 13th, 2012 by Roger Darlington
In an earlier posting, I explained how I grew up in Manchester and notionally supported the Manchester City football team (I am not really interested in sport) because it was our local team and my younger brother was supporting Manchester United. So, even with my lack of interest in football, I cannot fail to be […]
Posted in Cultural issues | Comments (0)
Is America’s decline inevitable?
May 13th, 2012 by Roger Darlington
All civilisations rise and fall; all great powers ascend and descend. This is the lesson of world history. After all, Britain was once the greatest power on earth ruling one-fifth of the global population and covering a quarter of the planet’s area. Yet many American politicians and policymakers assume that the current American hegemony is […]
Posted in American current affairs | Comments (1)
250 years of the sandwich
May 12th, 2012 by Roger Darlington
Other countries may have invented the bagel and the baguette but the British can proudly lay claim to the innovation of the sandwich some 250 years ago. It seems that it was in 1762 that John Montagu, the fourth Earl of Sandwich, first ordered beef served between slices of bread, so introducing civilisation to a convenient […]
Posted in Miscellaneous | Comments (0)
Any ideas for saving $4 billion?
May 12th, 2012 by Roger Darlington
What about not upgrading the United States’ 180 tactical nuclear weapons in western Europe. You can check out the case here.
Posted in American current affairs | Comments (0)