Archive for November, 2013


The return of Ernst Stavro Blofeld

November 20th, 2013 by Roger Darlington

As a teenager in the 1960s, I read all 14 of the James Bond novels by Ian Fleming and, since 1962 and “Dr No”, I have seen each of the 007 films as they have been released. So I was fascinated to learn that the next Bond movie might see the return of Ernst Stavro […]

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Word of the day: selfie

November 20th, 2013 by Roger Darlington

The word has been selected by the editors of the Oxford Dictionary as word of the year 2013. The definition is: “a photograph that one has taken of oneself, typically one taken with a smartphone or webcam and uploaded to a social media website”. You can find descriptions of other candidates for the word of 2013 […]

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150th anniversary of the Gettysburg Address

November 19th, 2013 by Roger Darlington

Abraham Lincoln’s famous address – made 150 years ago today – is a reminder than a brilliant speech does not have to be a long. You can read a fascinating piece on the Address here. And, if you fancy emulating Lincoln’s success, you might welcome some tips on “How To Make A Good Speech” which actually […]

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The 50th anniversary of Doctor Who

November 19th, 2013 by Roger Darlington

As a teenager in the 1960s, I watched the very first episodes of the BBC television series “Doctor Who”. I loved the Daleks and the Cybermen. I haven’t been following the revived Doctor Who of recent years but I could not avoid the attention and praise it received. Equally I’ve not missed the hype around […]

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Word of the day: maven

November 19th, 2013 by Roger Darlington

A maven is a trusted expert in a particular field who seeks to pass knowledge on to others. The word is topical just now because NASA has launched a mission to Mars and called it Maven – see here. In this case, the word is intended to be an acronym for Mars Atmosphere and Volatile Evolution but the […]

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A tale of two nations: 14% vs 0.7%

November 18th, 2013 by Roger Darlington

So Britain  is now coming out of its long recession, right? And everyone is starting to feel less pressured financially, right? No way. The latest survey from Incomes Data Services reveals that the total remuneration package for top executives increased by 14% in the last year, while the increase in average wages in the same […]

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A review of the new American movie “The Butler”

November 17th, 2013 by Roger Darlington

I have reviewed this worthy but flawed film here.

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Can you imagine a television programme on life in a cul-de-sac? (3)

November 15th, 2013 by Roger Darlington

A month and a half ago, I did a posting about being contacted  by a television production company interested in making a documentary about living in a cul-de-sac. This was a follow up to a posting I did seven years ago! Well, things have moved on. Following my circulation of a flyer about the programme idea to all the […]

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When the going gets tough, then the tough get going (if not now, then soon)

November 14th, 2013 by Roger Darlington

Almost two years ago, I was appointed the independent Chair of the Customer Challenge Group at South East Water which supplies drinking water to 2.1 million customers in Kent, Sussex, Surrey, Hampshire and Berkshire. Our prime role is to challenge the construction and composition of the Business Plan for 2015-2020 which the company will be submitting to the regulator Ofwat […]

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If you’re thinking of Christmas presents for children …

November 13th, 2013 by Roger Darlington

… you’re not alone. So am I. I have no connection with this company, but – just a tip – I’ve bought a number of games from The Happy Puzzle Company.

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