Showing 1 - 10 of 38
Those acronyms can be bit of a pain
Roger Crutchley, Published on 19/05/2024
» One of my pet peeves with newspapers around the globe has always been the proliferation of acronyms, especially in headlines. Apart from the fact that no one really has the faintest idea what they stand for there's something about them that's just plain ugly.
Shaking off the laundromat blues
News, Roger Crutchley, Published on 26/03/2023
» In last week's item concerning boutiques I wondered whether their influence could extend as far as the world of laundromats. My thanks to reader Jenifer Divine in Hamburg for informing me that in the German city's St Pauli district there is a laundromat dedicated to Jimi Hendrix which just about gives it boutique status.
Thailand tourism needs a trust boost
Life, Pattarawadee Saengmanee, Published on 06/02/2023
» The beginning of the Year of the Rabbit is a candle of hope for the tourist sector's revival. Thailand, however, does not appear to be off to a good start. The disgraceful saga of Thai police started at the end of last month when a Chinese tourist shared a video clip of four police officers offering her an unauthorised VVIP service on social media. She claimed to have been given the option of a speedy immigration check at the airport and a police escort to her hotel in Pattaya.
More meditating, less talking please
Life, Patcharawalai Sanyanusin, Published on 18/10/2021
» Whenever there are reports of Buddhist monks misbehaving or violating the monastic code of conduct, we often hear comments like "They are causing a decay to the religion" and "They should be kicked out of the monastery right away".
A country so different to anywhere else
News, Roger Crutchley, Published on 22/08/2021
» The dramatic events in Afghanistan inevitably sparked memories of my own brief experiences of the country more than 50 years ago while on an overland trip from London to New Delhi and beyond.
Some Olympic nationalism is good
Oped, Published on 03/08/2021
» In addition to being postponed by a year, the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games have been steeped in controversy. According to one recent survey, 78% of Japanese citizens thought the Games should be cancelled, owing to concerns about the pandemic. Since then, Japanese media have been shining a spotlight on the fact that not all visiting athletes (including 100 from the United States) are vaccinated against Covid-19.
Home alone … a case of bad timing
Oped, Roger Crutchley, Published on 18/07/2021
» The emotional events at Wembley Stadium last Sunday inevitably stirred personal memories of a similar happening with a different outcome 55 years previously in the summer of 1966.
Crypto: A curse worse than cash
Oped, Kenneth Rogoff, Published on 11/06/2021
» Ransomware -- a type of malicious software that restricts access to a computer system until a ransom is paid -- is not a good look for cryptocurrencies. Proponents of these digital coins would rather point to celebrity investors such as Tesla founder Elon Musk, Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban, star football quarterback Tom Brady, or actress Maisie Williams (Arya in Game of Thrones). But recent ransomware attacks, and cryptocurrencies' central role in enabling them, are a public relations disaster.
The doctor who became a wrap star
News, Roger Crutchley, Published on 10/05/2020
» It will come as no surprise that I know absolutely nothing about fashion. However I have been impressed by the stylish scarves warn by Doctor Deborah Birx in those White House coronavirus briefings. Whether draped over her shoulders like a wrap, or tied around her neck, the silk scarves are really quite attractive and look particularly suited to this elegant lady. Dr Birx's appearances have apparently prompted a considerable boost in sales of these upmarket scarves, especially the Hermes variety frequently worn by the doctor.
Begging for a drink
News, Postbag, Published on 27/07/2019
» There is a shortage of fresh water. It happens most years and is far from unexpected. Where is the rainmaking initiative? Maybe the government has forgotten about it in the same way that they have forgotten everyone but themselves.