Archive for May, 2019
Why are political opinion polls getting it wrong more often? (1)
May 22nd, 2019 by Roger Darlington
It is my contention that, across the democratic world, opinion pollsters are finding it harder to forecast accurately how political parties will do in elections and, on occasions, are getting the overall result wrong. Opinion polling is a complex matter and different companies use different methodologies, but all pollsters have the same problems of reaching […]
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The spellbinding voice and tragic life of the Queen of Soul Aretha Franklin
May 21st, 2019 by Roger Darlington
“Amazing Grace” is a newly-released documentary that few will see on the big screen but I was fortunate enough to catch at the cinema at the weekend. “Amazing Grace” was the title of the best-selling album of the Queen of Soul Aretha Franklin. It was recorded over two nights in January 1972 at the New […]
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The growing success of the “John Wick” film franchise
May 19th, 2019 by Roger Darlington
First, there was “John Wick” [my review here]; this was followed by “John Wick: Chapter 2” [my review here]; and, now newly-released we have “John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum”. The word ‘parabellum’ is Latin for ‘prepare for war’ and also a calibre of bullet so, even if you haven’t seen the previous two films […]
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Where now for South Africa?
May 18th, 2019 by Roger Darlington
South Africa has just had its sixth democratic general election and once more the African National Congress (ANC) won – but with a reduced share of the vote and a lower number of seats in the National Assembly. Cyril Ramaphosa became president a year ago and faces formidable problems in reforming the ANC and reviving […]
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Ever heard of the Winston Churchill Travelling Fellowships?
May 17th, 2019 by Roger Darlington
I was awarded one in 1980 to make a five-week study of the American telecommunications system. Each year the categories of Fellowship change but every year they are no formal requirements for applicants. If you’re interested, check out this year’s categories here.
Posted in Miscellaneous | Comments (0)
What is it like to visit the famous Peruvian site of Machu Picchu?
May 15th, 2019 by Roger Darlington
I really enjoy visiting new countries and have now managed to see a total of 73. Foreign travel is an opportunity to experience different cultures and visit wonderful locations. But I am aware that some popular tourist locations are now becoming overwhelmed. Today there is a story in the “Guardian” about opposition the building of […]
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A review of the sci-fi classic “2001: A Space Odyssey”
May 14th, 2019 by Roger Darlington
Directed, produced and co-written by the auteur Stanley Kubrick and five years in the making, this is a true film classic. The brilliant Kubrick created a number of classics in different genres and this science fiction work is among the very best in the genre. I have seen it four times now: the first on […]
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Have you ever heard of the city of Potosi?
May 13th, 2019 by Roger Darlington
I am currently reading “A Little History Of The United States” by James West Davidson. In one of the very early chapters, he makes a mention of a place called Potosi located in what is now Bolivia. When the Spanish conquered Latin America, they discovered a huge deposit of silver at Potosi which inconveniently is […]
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What’s going on in Spanish politics with three general elections in just four years?
May 11th, 2019 by Roger Darlington
For four decades, the political institutions of Spain have been fought over by two major parties that reflected the Centre-Right/Centre-Left divisions in so much of European politics – a system known in Spain as “bipartidismo”. But chronic corruption in the political system and the economic crisis of recent years following the global downturn, which saw a […]
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A review of the new rom-com “Long Shot”
May 10th, 2019 by Roger Darlington
In this politically-themed romantic comedy, Charlize Theron – a talented actress who is also gorgeous and here gets to wear to some great outfits – plays American politician and environmental campaigner Charlotte Field, a female Secretary of State who plans to run for President. This is not such a long shot. After all, in real […]
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