Archive for June, 2013


One of the most serious reasons why being a woman is tough anywhere any time

June 22nd, 2013 by Roger Darlington

Physical or sexual violence is a public health problem that affects more than one third of all women globally, according to a new report released this week by WHO in partnership with the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine and the South African Medical Research Council. The report, “Global and regional estimates of violence […]

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Word of the day: semiotics

June 20th, 2013 by Roger Darlington

This week, I spent a day at the Annual Conference of the Communications Management Association and indeed I chaired the final half of the event. The subject of the conference was the digital economy and there were some excellent speakers. One speaker in particular certainly had a way with words and, in the course of […]

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What are the 50 signs of ageing?

June 18th, 2013 by Roger Darlington

MailOnline offers this list. I reckon that I’m guilty of only about 10 of these, so that – although I’m 65 next week – I still feel young at heart.

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The modern face of Arabic music

June 17th, 2013 by Roger Darlington

I like to travel – I’ve now visited 60 countries – and I delight in savouring the products of different cultures, whether that is music, cinema or food. Therefore I have recently enjoyed the haunting music of Lebanese-born Yasmine Hamdan as revealed in her latest CD called “Ya Nass” which apparently translates as “Hey people! […]

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A day for two dads and one granddad

June 16th, 2013 by Roger Darlington

Here in the UK, it’s been Father’s Day and Vee and I had lunch with our son Richard and granddaugter Catrin. Catrin had already given her daddy a card at home and, in the restaurant, I received cards from both Richard and Catrin (“Happy Father’s Day to a very special Grandad”). Catrin was in great […]

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At last, some good news from the Islamic republic of Iran

June 16th, 2013 by Roger Darlington

I’m encouraged by the news that Hassan Rouhani has won the presidential election in Iran. In a tum-out of around 72%, he managed to take over 50% of the votes. The victory may seem ironic, given  that Rouhani was the only cleric among the six candidates, but he appears to be the most committed to reform and […]

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A chance to play the piano in public

June 15th, 2013 by Roger Darlington

As a Londoner, I use St Pancras railway station quite a lot. These days, it is a terrific venue with a central concourse full of shops and cafes. Also located in the concourse are a couple of pianos that can be used by anyone at any time. I think that this is a great idea […]

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A review of the blockbuster movie “Man Of Steel”

June 14th, 2013 by Roger Darlington

In an earlier posting, I explained that I was fortunate enough to attend the London premiere of the latest Superman movie “Man Of Steel”. I have now reviewed the film and you can read my comments here.

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A welcome birthday present and a very sobering conversation

June 14th, 2013 by Roger Darlington

Later this month, I’m 65 (I know – I don’t look old enough!). As a result. the National Health Service invited me to a screening for something called abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) which is a weakening of the main blood vessel that supplies blood to your body. The appointment was this morning. Not surprisingly for […]

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My first movie premiere: “Man Of Steel”

June 13th, 2013 by Roger Darlington

Anyone who knows me or who visits this blog regularly will appreciate that I am a massive movie fan, but this week was the first time that I have ever managed to attend a film premiere. The movie was the new Superman offering “Man Of Steel” and the venue was the Empire cinema in London’s […]

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