Archive for December, 2018
12 questions about Christmas answered
December 17th, 2018 by Roger Darlington
What is Christmas? How did it come to fall on 25 December? So there was no holiday season before the birth of Jesus? And it’s been ‘always Christmastime’ ever since? What in the name of Jesus are mince pies? So is it now more of a capitalist extravaganza than a Christmas festival? Who is Father […]
Posted in Miscellaneous | Comments (0)
The most beloved British sketch not seen by the British themselves …
December 15th, 2018 by Roger Darlington
… until now. It’s called “Dinner For One” and is performed by British entertainer Freddie Frinton. It is hugely popular in Northern Europe – especially Germany – but has never been broadcast in Britain. It is now planned that it will be broadcast by Sky Arts on 31 December. You can learn more here.
Posted in Cultural issues | Comments (1)
How is the Brexit crisis going to work out? I venture 16 predictions (2)
December 12th, 2018 by Roger Darlington
A week ago, I was rash enough to make a blog posting in which I attempted to make 16 predictions of how the Brexit crisis would unfold. One week later, one of my predictions has now come true, although the sequencing of events is not happening quite as I expected. I said that the Conservative […]
Posted in British current affairs | Comments (2)
Would you like to chair the Essential Services Access Network?
December 12th, 2018 by Roger Darlington
The Essential Services Access Network (ESAN) is a grouping of consumer and voluntary organisations working on a cross-sectoral basis with regulators and Ombudsman services. ESAN strives to ensure that services which are essential to life, health and well-being (currently energy, water, financial services and communications) meet the needs of consumers, particularly those in vulnerable circumstances. After three […]
Posted in Consumer matters | Comments (0)
Some more reading for Theresa May: how to make decisions
December 11th, 2018 by Roger Darlington
Until yesterday afternoon, we had spent a couple of weeks expecting that today we would have “a meaningful vote” in the House of Commons on Theresa May’s Brexit deal. I did a blog posting on how I thought that things would work out on and after that vote. Instead the Prime Minister has decided to […]
Posted in British current affairs, My life & thoughts | Comments (0)
Voting: you think you know when it’s over and you think you know when it’s going to take place
December 10th, 2018 by Roger Darlington
It’s over a month since the Congressional mid-term elections took place in the United States but we still don’t know all the results. In North Carolina, the outcome of the election in the 9th House District is still in dispute. Check out the problem here. Meanwhile, for days, we’ve been told that the House of […]
Posted in American current affairs, British current affairs | Comments (0)
A review of the new film “Creed II”
December 6th, 2018 by Roger Darlington
This film could almost as fairly been titled “Rocky VIII” since once again it stars Sylvester Stallone as Rocky Balboa and Stallone both co-wrote and co-produced. What’s more the central plot device is a essentially a re-run of “Rocky IV” as the son of Apollo Creed – Michael B Jordan as Adonis – accepts the […]
Posted in Cultural issues | Comments (0)
Have you heard of the Holocaust?
December 5th, 2018 by Roger Darlington
Of course, you have. I believe (and I hope) that people who read this blog are at least averagely well-informed. But a new survey has revealed an astonishing (and very worrying) lack of knowledge of the Holocaust and widespread prejudice against Jews. A recent survey by CNN found that about one European in 20 in […]
Posted in History, World current affairs | Comments (0)
How is the Brexit crisis going to work out? I venture 16 predictions …
December 4th, 2018 by Roger Darlington
In the House of Commons “meaningful vote” on Theresa May’s Brexit deal, there is no majority for the deal. The Parliamentary Labour Party tables a vote of no confidence in the Government. It fails. The 1922 Committee tables a vote of no confidence in May as Conservative Party leader. It fails. May seeks to tweak elements […]
Posted in British current affairs | Comments (6)
Ever heard of the idea of a fecal transplant?
December 3rd, 2018 by Roger Darlington
No, me neither. Until this weekend when I was happily eating a delicious Chinese meal with Czech/Mexican friends over from Prague and the subject came up of basically eating someone else’s poo. Apparently it is a serious and – in some circumstances – useful process. You can read more about it here.
Posted in Science & technology | Comments (0)