Showing 1 - 10 of 18
Those were the days, my friend...
Oped, Roger Crutchley, Published on 14/01/2024
» A fortnight ago I enjoyed Thai hospitality on a very pleasant New Year's Eve at a small gathering in our neighbour's garden in Chaiyaphum. There were about 10 of us and although I was the only non-Thai the hosts insisted on playing western music rather than the mor-lam they almost certainly would have preferred.
Jokes aren't what they used to be
Roger Crutchley, Published on 27/08/2023
» It is customary at this time of the year for PostScript to try and lighten up proceedings with what have been voted the best jokes by stand-up comedians at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe which wraps up this week. Unfortunately this year's offerings have been decidedly underwhelming, or perhaps I'm getting a bit too ancient to appreciate modern wit. Anyway, prepare yourself for a few groans.
Brits can still put on a good show
News, Roger Crutchley, Published on 14/05/2023
» Considering how depressing the world news has been lately, the coronation of King Charles III last weekend provided a brief diversion. It might not be everybody's cup of tea but the Brits certainly know how to put on a show if a bit of history is involved. They're good at pomp and pageantry and most importantly love a parade with plenty of horses.
Going bananas over the 'Day-O' song
News, Roger Crutchley, Published on 07/05/2023
» The recent death of the gifted Jamaican-American singer Harry Belafonte at the age of 96 inevitably sparked memories of when his biggest hit "Day-O (The Banana Boat Song)" swept the globe, including Britain.
A good time to chill out and be cool
News, Roger Crutchley, Published on 29/11/2020
» It was a strange week even by US President Donald Trump's standards. It began with him pardoning turkeys and ended in pardoning former national security adviser Michael Flynn. Who is next in line for a pardon one wonders?
2019 more a celebration of 1969
News, Roger Crutchley, Published on 29/12/2019
» It is customary at this time of the year to take a look at some of the major happenings of the past 12 months. This past year has been rather unusual in that it marked a host of significant 50th anniversaries. In fact the year was almost as much about 1969 as 2019. So to kick things off, let's just recall a few of those events 50 years ago.
Where there's a rhyme there's a reason
News, Roger Crutchley, Published on 01/09/2019
» Today we welcome in a new month, September. I have a certain attachment for the ninth month of the year for a rather simplistic reason. Whenever I can't remember how many days there are in a particular month, I still resort to the old rhyme "30 days hath September, April, June and November…" and so on. So much for my education.
When the president said 'sock it to me'
News, Roger Crutchley, Published on 04/08/2019
» My apologies for unwittingly being the purveyor of fake news in last week's column, mistakenly crediting Goldie Hawn with the "sock it to me" catchphrase from the Laugh-In show. It was actually the English actress Judy Carne who was the regular "sock it to me" girl, although Hawn did also come out with the expression on occasions.
The Thai Blob is spreading its wings
News, Roger Crutchley, Published on 27/01/2019
» Many readers will be familiar with the long-running Adventures of the Blob on certain Thai TV channels in the war against cigarettes. When movies are shown, the blob races around the screen in pursuit of rogue cigarettes and attempts to blob them out to protect defenceless viewers. Unsurprisingly, the ridiculous blob only succeeds in irritating the TV audience. The absurdity of it all was highlighted recently during a gangster movie in which nearly everyone in the room was smoking. This prompted a squadron of blobs to go whizzing across the screen, fighting a losing battle and reducing a supposedly serious scene into a foggy farce.
2018: The rescue that gripped the world
News, Roger Crutchley, Published on 30/12/2018
» It ended up as a truly inspiring feel-good story, but could so easily have been a heart-breaking tragedy. That was why the tale of the Wild Boars football team -- 12 young Thai boys and their coach trapped in a flooded cave system in Chiang Rai -- held the attention of the world for more than a fortnight.