Archive for July, 2023
A review of the new money-making movie “Barbie”
July 30th, 2023 by Roger Darlington
This is clearly a movie aimed at a young female demographic and, as an elderly man, I am way outside the target audience. But I wanted to see it because it has already become a massive success, about which so many are talking and writing, and because I so admire many of those involved in […]
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Where is everybody? It’s called the Fermi paradox.
July 30th, 2023 by Roger Darlington
This week, various people in the United States Congress became very excited about possible evidence for extraterrestrials visiting Earth. I don’t believe it for a moment. Extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence – and so far there’s none. It is a paradox associated with the Italian-American Enrico Fermi (who makes an appearance in the current blockbuster […]
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A review of the new blockbuster film “Oppenheimer”
July 29th, 2023 by Roger Darlington
“Oppenheimer”- or “Symbol Of Pacifism” as it is called in Poland, through which I passed recently – is the 12th film made by British director Christopher Nolan and I’ve seen (and admired) all of them, except the first, very low-budget work which I’ve never caught. Nolan is a director of exceptional talent and originality, every […]
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A review of the David Lean film that you’ve never heard of: “Summertime”
July 26th, 2023 by Roger Darlington
In 1955, just two years before acclaimed British director David Lean began turning out a series of hugely successful epic movies, he made “Summertime”, a small romantic comedy-drama shot entirely in the glorious city of Venice. In spite of being a massive Lean fan since “Lawrence Of Arabia” (1962) and visiting Venice three times, I […]
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Eight lifestyle changes that can add 20 years to your life
July 25th, 2023 by Roger Darlington
Eat well. Avoid cigarettes. Get a good night’s sleep. Be physically active. Manage stress. Avoid binge drinking. Be free from opioid addiction. Have positive social relationships. This advice may be obvious – but it is so important. The source of the advice is a new study described here.
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Holiday in the Caucasus (17): conclusion
July 23rd, 2023 by Roger Darlington
Azerbaijan, Georgia and Armenia have a common 20th century history as parts of the former Soviet Union and are all modestly-sized countries with small populations in a minor and compact region of the world. Yet they are so different politically, culturally, religiously, linguistically. Azerbaijan is the most modern and confident, aided by plentiful oil […]
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Holiday in the Caucasus (16): more in and round Yerevan, Armenia
July 23rd, 2023 by Roger Darlington
On the last day of our tour of the Caucasus, again there was much less travelling because we were either in or around Yerevan. We made a late start of 9.30 am and drove around the city centre while Garik pointed out key locations such as the parliament building and the presidential palace. Since we […]
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Holiday in the Caucasus (15): in and around Yerevan, Armenia
July 21st, 2023 by Roger Darlington
On the penultimate day of our tour of the Caucasus, there was much less travelling because we were either in Yerevan or in the district about an hour to the east of the city. Over a period of centuries, Armenia has had no less than 14 capitals. The current capital – since the Soviet days […]
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Holiday in the Caucasus (14): more Armenia
July 20th, 2023 by Roger Darlington
It was a very long day (almost 12 hours) and very hot (up to 34C), but it was much more interesting than yesterday. If only our guide could talk less and plan more. We commenced the day by driving south to the Noratus Cemetery. Located at a height of around 2,000 metres (some 6,500 feet), […]
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Holiday in the Caucasus (13): Tsaghkadzor, Armenia
July 19th, 2023 by Roger Darlington
Our second day in Armenia involved very little travel as we stayed in and out the town of Tsaghkadzor. Our minivan was a slightly larger one with three more seats providing a bit more room. At this height, the temperature was a comfortable 22C. Our problem was our guide who seemed to have improvisation as […]
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