Archive for November, 2014


Can somebody please explain to me the meaning of the new sci-fi movie “Interstellar”?

November 13th, 2014 by Roger Darlington

I loved “Inception”, even if it twisted my brain trying to work out the complicated narrative. But Christopher Nolan has now taken me beyond my powers of comprehension with the mind-blowing “Interstellar” which I have reviewed here. Please, please explain it to me.

Posted in Cultural issues | Comments (0)


The potential candidate for the 2016 US Presidential race that is totally unknown outside America

November 12th, 2014 by Roger Darlington

You’ve never hear of him. He’s a senator from Vermont. He’s the longest serving independent in Congressional history. He isn’t afraid to call himself a socialsist. And he’s thinking of running for president in 2016. His name is Bernie Sanders. You can read about the speculation concerning his candidacy here.

Posted in American current affairs | Comments (0)


How the world can work together when it wants to: the Svalbard Global Seed Vault

November 11th, 2014 by Roger Darlington

The Svalbard Global Seed Vault is a secure seedbank on the Norwegian island of Spitsbergen near Longyearbyen in the remote Arctic Svalbard archipelago, about 1,300 kilometres (810 miles) from the North Pole. The purpose of the vault to preserve a wide variety of plant seeds that are duplicate samples, or “spare” copies, of seeds held […]

Posted in Environment | Comments (0)


The man they call Britain’s Oskar Schindler: Nicholas Winton

November 10th, 2014 by Roger Darlington

Although I have never met him, I have a special respect for the British businessman Nicholas Winton who saved 669 Czechoslovak Jewish children from the Holocaust by organising their evacuation by train from Prague just before the outbreak of the Second World War. I supposed it’s partly because I’m British, partly because so many of […]

Posted in History | Comments (0)


South East Water becomes first company in sector to commit to the Living Wage

November 9th, 2014 by Roger Darlington

I am 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. So I am pleased that this Living Wage Week South East Water has been announced as the first water company to receive accreditation from the Living […]

Posted in British current affairs | Comments (0)


A review of the new film “Mr Turner”

November 9th, 2014 by Roger Darlington

If you’re only interested in films with sex, violence, a thumping soundtrack and lashings of action. “Mr Turner” is not for you. If you areĀ discerning enough to accept its length of two and a half hours, its pace which is languid and unhurried, and its narrative which is about character rather than action, this is […]

Posted in Cultural issues | Comments (0)


A couple of days in my old home city of Manchester

November 8th, 2014 by Roger Darlington

From time to time, I’m invited to lecture to visiting delegations from China, usually in London. This week, I was asked to go to Manchester to give a couple of such lectures and I agreed since I was brought in Manchester (I left when I was 23) and still have relatives there. So I went […]

Posted in My life & thoughts | Comments (2)


A poem by my niece Saskia Darlington (aged 11)

November 8th, 2014 by Roger Darlington

Remember the cracks of light between the trees. Remember the Christmas mushy peas. Remember the snowflake floating down in a flurry. Remember he squirrels collecting nuts in a hurry. Remember the plectrums against the guitar strings. Remember the persistent microwave ping. Remember the sunset on a summer dawn. Remember the snow cold ice and rain. […]

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Why much of the rest of the world still respects Barack Obama

November 6th, 2014 by Roger Darlington

The poor showing by Democratic candidates in this week’s mid-term elections is being blamed in part on the low approval ratings for Democrat President Barack Obama. But, in many countries of the world, there is still immense respect for a president who has neverĀ embarrassed his office by language or conduct, has never rushed to war […]

Posted in American current affairs | Comments (1)


American political institutions (1): the mid-term elections

November 6th, 2014 by Roger Darlington

This autumn, I am doing a six week (five session) evening class at London’s City Lit on the subject of “American Political Institutions”. The lecturer is Malcolm Malcolmson who is also the Principal of the City Lit (good to see someone leading from the front) and I have heard him lecture before (see this posting). […]

Posted in American current affairs | Comments (0)