Archive for November, 2016


Against the clock: why more time is not the answer for consumers

November 30th, 2016 by Roger Darlington

Citizens Advice has just published a report exploring how long it takes to follow a ‘good’ consumer decision-making process compared to what comes more naturally, and what impact this has on consumers. In “Against the clock: why more time is not the answer for consumers”, it is explained that: Following a ‘good’ decision-making process takes […]

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Four disruptions that will shake things up for energy consumers

November 29th, 2016 by Roger Darlington

Citizens Advice has just published an interesting new report on the future of energy markets and how these changes might impact on consumers. You can access the full report, “The Disrupted Decade”, here. Meanwhile this is a summary: It has been said that people often overestimate what can happen in 2 years and underestimate the […]

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Thanksgiving in the USA (10)

November 28th, 2016 by Roger Darlington

The last day of my trip was a Sunday and Mike treated me to a cooked breakfast before he drove me to Glenmont metro station for my journey to downtown Washington to spend another day on my own before catching my flight home. First, I made my way to the Capital Hilton Hotel where I […]

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Thanksgiving in the USA (9)

November 27th, 2016 by Roger Darlington

On the penultimate day of my trip (Saturday), I went into Washington DC on my own. I started with lunch with a very close and longstanding friend, Larry Cohen, at a Mexican restaurant called “Oyamel” and an ice cream parlour called “Pitango”. I have known Larry for almost 30 years but not seen him since […]

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The resignation and then the death of Fidel Castro – democracy postponed

November 26th, 2016 by Roger Darlington

When I heard of the death of Fidel Castro, I was reminded of my visit to Cuba eight years ago in 2008. Coincidentally, just two weeks before my holiday on the island, Fidel announced his resignation as president and passed the baton to his brother Raul. All the time I was in Cuba, I was […]

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Who was Fidel Castro? – my review of what was essentially his memoir

November 26th, 2016 by Roger Darlington

When I heard of the death of Fidel Castro, I was reminded of when I read a 700 page book summarising a long series of interviews with the revolutionary leader. The book was called “My Life” and it was written by Ignacio Ramonet. You can read my review of the work here.

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The story of William Morgan, the “American comandante” who fought with Fidel Castro

November 26th, 2016 by Roger Darlington

This morning, I heard the news of the death of Fidel Castro and the American friends with whom I am staying outside Washington DC told me about a feature of the Cuban war of independence and its aftermath that was totally new to me. I learned that there was an “American comandante” called William Morgan […]

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Thanksgiving in the USA (8)

November 26th, 2016 by Roger Darlington

Friday saw a return to downtown Washington DC to visit another museum. The Newseum is a private location that charges visitors unlike the Smithsonian museums which are free, but it is an absolutely fascinating place that anyone with an interest in current affairs simply must visit. It opened at its present location on Pennsylvania Avenue […]

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Thanksgiving in the USA (7)

November 25th, 2016 by Roger Darlington

Following the family version of Thanksgiving on Sunday, the real Thanksgiving Day was today (Thursday). Around the nation, almost 49 million Americans travelled by road, rail and air to join their families. Mike and Laura were keen that I should have the full, immersive Thanksgiving experience so, like 50 million viewers all around the country, […]

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Thanksgiving in the USA (6)

November 24th, 2016 by Roger Darlington

I have long been fascinated by the American political system (if you Google those three words, my website guide will be referenced in the first page of results) and intrigued by American politics (which is why a visit to the USA within a couple of weeks of Donald Trump’s election as president is so interesting). […]

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