Archive for May, 2012


How many American Presidents have been assassinated?

May 11th, 2012 by Roger Darlington

Four sitting United States Presidents have been assassinated: Abraham Lincoln in 1865, James A. Garfield in 1881, William McKinley in 1901 and John F. Kennedy in 1963. Two other Presidents were injured in attempted assassinations: former President Theodore Roosevelt and then sitting President Ronald Reagan. In all, there have been over 20 known attempts to kill sitting and former Presidents. […]

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How many British Prime Ministers have been assassinated?

May 11th, 2012 by Roger Darlington

Most people would guess none – but sadly the answer is one. The unfortunate Spencer Perceval was shot dead in the House of Commons itself by a man with a grudge against the government. This occurred exactly two hundred years ago today and, of course, the “Guardian” has marked the date with an article.

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What will the home of the future look like?

May 10th, 2012 by Roger Darlington

You’ll find plenty of fascinating ideas here.

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The most complicated politics in the democratic world

May 9th, 2012 by Roger Darlington

Israel may be a small country of just 8 million, but its politics matter, both because it is the only genuine democracy in the Middle East and it is the strongest military power in the region. I have tried to explain Israel’s political system here. In the conclusion of my essay, I state: “Israeli’s strange […]

Posted in World current affairs | Comments (0)


Have you had an 11% increase in pay?

May 8th, 2012 by Roger Darlington

I doubt it because, according to this BBC story, the average British worker received a mere 1.1% increase in pay in the last year. Since inflation has been higher than this, it means that British workers have suffered a real decrease in pay at the same time as provision of public services has been cut. […]

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A review of one of the best films you’ve never seen

May 8th, 2012 by Roger Darlington

It’s called “The Fall” and it was released in 2008, but I’ve only just come across it. It is a real curiosity and a true gem. Read my review here

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Elections, elections, elections …

May 7th, 2012 by Roger Darlington

Who says that politics is boring? Not me. Granted that I am something of a political junkie, but the last few days have been absolutely fascinating for anyone remotely interested in politics or current affairs here in Europe. First, on Thursday, we had the local elections in England, Scotland and Wales when the Labour Party […]

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The only good news for the Tories …

May 5th, 2012 by Roger Darlington

… is not actually as good as it first looks. So Boris Johnson, who polled better than his Conservative Party, beat Ken Livingstone, who polled worse than his Labour Party, retains his position as Mayor of London. Yet Boris’s scope for manoeuvre is less than much of the media has highlighted. But first the big […]

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More information on water

May 3rd, 2012 by Roger Darlington

In an earlier posting, I provided a link to some interesting information on water. My renewed fascination with water comes from my recent appointment as Chair of the Customer Challenge Group at South East Water. In response to that earlier posting, a friend of mine sent me this information: “Hope you don’t mind me saying […]

Posted in Environment, Science & technology | Comments (0)


A review of “Avengers Assemble”

May 2nd, 2012 by Roger Darlington

Never have so many super-heroes gathered to combat so much evil. See my review here.

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