Archive for July, 2013
Family birthday reunion in Leicester
July 6th, 2013 by Roger Darlington
My sister always ensures that the extended family is brought together at least once a year – usually around Christmas. This year, however, we have a summer of birthdays with a ‘0’ or a ‘5’ in the date, so today she convened an extra gathering at her home in Leicester. The weather was brilliant. But, […]
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My latest short story: “The Storyteller Of Damascus”
July 5th, 2013 by Roger Darlington
It’s six months since I wrote a short story, but this week I crafted my 30th. It’s called “The Storyteller Of Damascus” and you can read it here. I’ve had the story in mind since I visited Syria just over two years ago and I was prompted to write it now by the news that […]
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Will we ever find a theory of everything and will a version of string theory be the explanation?
July 4th, 2013 by Roger Darlington
Is it possible to combine the theory of relativity (which explains the movement of large bodies) with quantum mechanics (which explain the action of sub-atomic particles) into a Grand Unification Theory (GUT) that would account for everything from the big bang to black holes? Currently the best bet for such a GUT or Theory of […]
Posted in Science & technology | Comments (1)
My introduction to the Great War
July 3rd, 2013 by Roger Darlington
For my recent birthday, some friends gave me the box set of the groundbreaking 1964 BBC series on “The Great War”. There are 26 episodes and I have already viewed six. As I watched these pictures of the outbreak of a war that the Germans planned would last a mere 40 days, I was reminded […]
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A review of the film “Once”
July 2nd, 2013 by Roger Darlington
A very small film has become a major musical. Does it deserve the hype? See my review here.
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Can we make ourselves happier?
July 2nd, 2013 by Roger Darlington
I think so. Professor Ruut Veenhoven, Director of the World Happiness Database and Emeritus professor of social conditions for human happiness at the Erasmus University in Rotterdam, thinks so too and his study suggests factors which are likely to increase happiness and I’m delighted to say that all of them feature in my own life. Check […]
Posted in Miscellaneous | Comments (0)
Have many books have you read?
July 1st, 2013 by Roger Darlington
Today, I started reading a long book: the near-600 page work entitled “A History Of The World” by Andrew Marr. In his Introduction, he states: “I calculate that around two thousand books, never mind pamphlets and journals, have been read for what follows.” As I have kept a diary for 50 years, I know how […]
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The 150th anniversary of the Battle of Gettsburg
July 1st, 2013 by Roger Darlington
In the United States, it’s huge; elsewhere in the world, it may pass relatively unnoticed. Today is the 150th anniversary of the commencement of the three-day Battle of Gettysburg, a decisive conflict in the long and bloody American civil war. A year ago, my wife and I visited the site of the battle with close […]
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