Archive for July, 2017


How close are we to stopping Alzheimer’s?

July 31st, 2017 by Roger Darlington

This is the question posed at the head of a very short six-part feature currently on the BBC’s website here. I was particularly interested in the section on the special role of sleep which states: “New research by Professor Maiken Nedergaard at the University of Copenhagen suggests that regular, good quality sleep throughout life may powerfully […]

Posted in Social policy | Comments (0)


A review of the new rom-com movie “The Big Sick”

July 30th, 2017 by Roger Darlington

This is a romantic comedy that follows the traditional rom-com narrative: boy meets girl, boy loses girl – well, you know the rest. But much else is a fresh approach to the genre. Above all, the lead characters are not traditional fare. The family of stand-up comedian Kumail (played by stand-up Kumail Nanjiani) are Pakistani […]

Posted in Cultural issues | Comments (0)


The rise of populism: causes and consequences

July 28th, 2017 by Roger Darlington

At this time of year, my professional commitments are light, so I sign up for a number of short courses at the City Lit further education college in central London. My third such course of this summer was delivered by an American lecturer called Dale Mineshima-Lowe and it was titled “An introduction to populism: a view of America […]

Posted in World current affairs | Comments (2)


Why is there nothing as good as “Madam Secretary” about British politics?

July 26th, 2017 by Roger Darlington

OK, it’s not as superlative as “The West Wing”, my all-time favourite television series. But “Madam Secretary” is good television. Like “The West Wing”, it deals with political issues that have a real-life basis and it represents politicians as basically honourable and trying to to the right thing. And women both originated the series and […]

Posted in Cultural issues | Comments (1)


The films of British writer/director Christopher Nolan

July 26th, 2017 by Roger Darlington

At this time of year, my professional commitments are light, so I sign up for a number of short courses at the City Lit further education college in central London. My second such course of this summer was delivered by an American lecturer called Mary Wild. and it was titled “Christopher Nolan: dystopian dreams and hidden […]

Posted in Cultural issues | Comments (0)


Fifty years since the Six Day Arab-Israeli War of 1967

July 25th, 2017 by Roger Darlington

At this time of year, my professional commitments are light, so I sign up for a number of short courses at the City Lit further education college in central London. My first such course of this summer was delivered by Dr Noman Hanif – UK born of parents from Kashmir – and it was titled “The […]

Posted in History, World current affairs | Comments (1)


A review of the movie “War For Planet Of The Apes”

July 24th, 2017 by Roger Darlington

“War For Planet Of The Apes” This is the third movie in the rebooted franchise which has used some confusing titles. In 2011, we had “Rise Of ..” and then in 2014 there was “Dawn Of ..” when really title-wise it should have been the other way round. Now (2017) comes “War For ..” but […]

Posted in Cultural issues | Comments (0)


Getting to know Democratic Party hopeful Kamala Harris

July 23rd, 2017 by Roger Darlington

Kamala Harris is the newly-elected Democratic Party senator for the state of California and only the second black woman to have been elected to the Senate. Her mother, who was born in India, was a breast cancer researcher, and her father, from Jamaica, was an economics professor at Stanford University. She started out as a […]

Posted in American current affairs | Comments (0)


A review of the movie “Spider-Man: Homecoming”

July 21st, 2017 by Roger Darlington

After three “Spider-Man” movies directed by Sam Raimi with Tobey Maguire in the eponymous role and two “Amazing Spider-Man” films helmed by Marc Web with (British) Andrew Garfield as the titular super-hero, we have a sixth cinematic outing for the arachnid in a mere 15 years. This time the director is little-known Jon Watts and […]

Posted in Cultural issues | Comments (0)


I am no longer old – according to a proposal from the Japanese

July 19th, 2017 by Roger Darlington

On the day that my 41 year old son had the news that he will have to work until he is 68 before receiving a state pension, I read of the proposal that someone of my age (69) is no longer to be termed old. In Japan, a joint committee of the Japan Gerontological Society […]

Posted in Miscellaneous, My life & thoughts | Comments (0)