Archive for March, 2017
Can things get any worse for the Labour Party? And when will Corbyn realise that he has to go?
March 31st, 2017 by Roger Darlington
As a lifelong member of the British Labour Party, I despair at the current state of the party and the appalling leadership that it has. In an article in today’s “Guardian” newspaper, John Harris underlines just how bad things have become for the party as the country approaches Brexit: “This is, then, arguably the most […]
Posted in British current affairs | Comments (0)
An existential question for the 21st century: how do you change the duvet cover?
March 30th, 2017 by Roger Darlington
You’d think that duvet covers would have openings on two sides to make it easier to change, but that would be too simple. Instead we have to struggle, but you can find some – not entirely serious – advice here.
Posted in Miscellaneous | Comments (0)
So what is this European Union that the UK is so keen to leave?
March 29th, 2017 by Roger Darlington
On the day that the British Prime Minister Theresa May activates Article 50 of the Treaty of Lisbon to start the process of UK withdrawal from the European Union, you might like to know a little about the formation, structure and operation of the EU. You can find my brief guide here.
Posted in World current affairs | Comments (0)
How should you make moral decisions?
March 28th, 2017 by Roger Darlington
There is a runaway trolley barreling down the railway tracks. Ahead, on the tracks, there are five people tied up and unable to move. The trolley is headed straight for them. You are standing some distance off in the train yard, next to a lever. If you pull this lever, the trolley will switch to […]
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The Putin paradox: how does a leader so distrusted in the West remain so popular at home?
March 27th, 2017 by Roger Darlington
In this article, Dmitri Trenin – Director of the Carnegie Moscow centre – explains: “Putin has restored Russia’s status of a great power, lost with the Soviet Union. He first tried to fit Russia into an enlarged west, as a senior ally of the US in Nato and a close partner of the EU within a […]
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Which is Donald Trump’s favourite television programme?
March 27th, 2017 by Roger Darlington
As explained in this article, it is “Fox & Friends”, the three-hour ‘news’ & entertainment programme which goes out each weekend morning on the Fox News Channel. Trump watches it religiously and often tweets in response to what he sees on the programme. Why does he like the programme so much? Simple. The article suggests […]
Posted in American current affairs | Comments (0)
From Kathmandu to London
March 25th, 2017 by Roger Darlington
I had a very leisurely lunch today (around three hours) in a Moroccan restaurant called “Sidi Maarouf” on Edgware Road in central London.. I was with my young friend Alexei who is ethnically Russian, was brought up in Moldova, and now lives in Germany. He is such a bright and thoughtful man with a couple […]
Posted in My life & thoughts | Comments (0)
At last, I again have a main computer that works
March 23rd, 2017 by Roger Darlington
You may have read earlier about my travails with my Mac Mini in this blog posting. I can now report that, after two visits from techie friends, two long calls to Mac support experts, two visits to an Authorised Service Provider, two hundred pounds in payments and two weeks with no main computer, my Mac […]
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So how is President Trump doing so far?
March 22nd, 2017 by Roger Darlington
In the United States, there is a longstanding practice of polling the popularity of the president. There are different polling organisations but one of the most reputable with one of the largest samples is Gallup. The last Gallup poll of President Barack Obama’s popularity – after a tough eight years in office – found a […]
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A review of the latest Ken Loach film “I, Daniel Blake”
March 21st, 2017 by Roger Darlington
British director Ken Loach – now aged 80 – is a film-maker with singular focus and talent. Nobody else would make a work about the benefits system with such a personal style and powerful impact. Like so many of his films, the acting and dialogue are so naturalistic that the work could almost be a […]
Posted in Cultural issues | Comments (1)