Archive for December, 2013
Twixtmas: Day One
December 27th, 2013 by Roger Darlington
You know all about Christmas and New Year. But what do you call the period in-between? Welcome to the five days of Twixtmas where you are being encouraged to make the most of this valuable time. Day One is about spoiling yourself and thinking more positively about you. You’ll find five suggestions here.
Posted in Miscellaneous | Comments (0)
Top 10 films at UK box office
December 26th, 2013 by Roger Darlington
“Despicable Me 2” “Les Miserables” [my review here] “Iron Man 3” [my review here] “Monsters University” “The Hunger Games: Catching Fire” [my review here] “Man of Steel” [my review here] “The Croods” “Gravity” [my review here] “Star Trek Into Darkness” [my review here] “Fast and Furious” Source: Boxofficemojo.com You’ll find more Top 10 lists here.
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My best Christmas present
December 25th, 2013 by Roger Darlington
For years, I have fancied having a remote controlled helicopter but thought that, at the grand old age of 65, this was too much of a boyish wish. Then, a few weeks ago, I was in a gadget shop and saw this helicopter priced at £30 but reduced to £20. I decide that this was […]
Posted in My life & thoughts | Comments (4)
How the Mother of Parliaments might be brought into the 21st century (2)
December 24th, 2013 by Roger Darlington
A few weeks ago, I did a posting about the formation of a Speaker’s Commission on Digital Democracy. This exercise will start in early 2014 and report in early 2015. The first three members of the Commission have now been announced: Robert Halfon MP Meg Hillier MP Helen Milner, Chief Executive, Tinder Foundation Since I am […]
Posted in British current affairs | Comments (0)
Why America’s poor cannot SNAP out of food stamps
December 24th, 2013 by Roger Darlington
As we eat and drink ourselves silly over the Christmas period, let’s the remember the poorer members of our community. Even in the United States – the richest country on earth – there is massive need for food subsidies. In the USA, the food stamps scheme is known as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Programme (SNAP). An […]
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When it comes to Christmas, we British are gonna party like it’s 1899
December 23rd, 2013 by Roger Darlington
So writes Duncan Exley of the Equality Trust in this piece about how Britain is facing the sort of inequality experienced in Victorian times – the excess of the few and the struggle of the many
Posted in British current affairs | Comments (0)
Do you believe in elves? OK, what about angels?
December 23rd, 2013 by Roger Darlington
When I was Father Christmas at the bazaar of my granddaughter’s nursery, I was supported by a green-clad elf – but he did look remarkably like the 10 year old son of one of the nursery workers. However, there is a news item today explaining that opposition to a new road in Iceland is based in […]
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How big is Africa? BIGGER than you think.
December 21st, 2013 by Roger Darlington
For an explanation and an illustration, see here.
Posted in World current affairs | Comments (1)
Another lovely day with my wonderful granddaughter Catrin
December 20th, 2013 by Roger Darlington
Yesterday I spent all day with my granddaughter Catrin (now just one month short of her third birthday) who was allowed to miss nursery to go out with the me. The starting point was a stage show at the Leicester Square Theatre to see “Stick Man”. Catrin has already seen two stage productions with other […]
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A cheery message for Christmas
December 18th, 2013 by Roger Darlington
“Already, we have forgotten the basic lesson of the [financial] crash [of 2008] : Global problems need global solutions. And because we failed to learn from the last crisis, the world’s bankers are carrying us toward the next one. The economist David Miles, who sits on the monetary policy committee of the Bank of England, […]
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