Showing 1 - 10 of 15
Not even the penguins were spared
Roger Crutchley, Published on 28/12/2025
» Well, we've just about slithered our way through the Year of the Snake. Suffice to say, 2025 wasn't much fun. At least the previous year we had the "Happy Hippo" which kept us vaguely amused in a daft sort of way.
Paper bags, patriotism and mushy peas
Roger Crutchley, Published on 10/08/2025
» One of the more thought-provoking stories of the week was an unnamed Thai hospital being fined after it was discovered private files on patients were being used to make paper bags for popular street snacks. Apparently some people at the business entrusted with destroying the files instead took them home and made paper bags out of them.
Asterisk more than just a footnote
Roger Crutchley, Published on 09/06/2024
» In the ladies golf major tournament last weekend one of the top American amateurs was 15-year-old Asterisk Talley. I don't recall ever coming across Asterisk as a name before. Apparently her mother is Greek and the word asterisk in Greek means "little star". So it would seem quite an acceptable name for a baby.
An unlikely place to have a good laugh
News, Roger Crutchley, Published on 12/09/2021
» The news has been so gloomy lately I have spent some time scouring newspapers for something remotely cheerful to write about … and failing miserably. I would even settle for silly news which is usually abundant in Thailand, but even that is in scarce supply these days.
Well, after that things can only get better
News, Roger Crutchley, Published on 27/12/2020
» What a dreadful year. We found ourselves having to tackle a whole new vocabulary and most of the words were enough to make even the most optimistic among us depressed. It all began in March with "self-isolation", a horrible expression inferring you have become a hermit, hidden away, exiled, incommunicado, which in fact is exactly what we were.
Possibly the worst job in the world?
News, Roger Crutchley, Published on 01/11/2020
» On the day Americans went to the polls four years ago the Miami Herald ran what must have been its shortest-ever editorial which simply read: "Her, Not Him, Enough Said". In light of what ensued, it must have been tempting to blame the proof-readers and come out the next day with: "Correction: Him Not Her."
August can be a very wicked month
News, Roger Crutchley, Published on 02/08/2020
» My goodness, we are already into August, but with the coronavirus it feels like the year has hardly got started. Six months seem to have simply disappeared and worse, I've got a year older with nothing to show for it but a few more wrinkles. I also have an uncomfortable feeling I will still be wearing a face mask next August.
Bookshelves behind the talking heads
News, Roger Crutchley, Published on 05/07/2020
» One result of the coronavirus is that the majority of news interviews on television are coming from people's homes, whether they be professional broadcasters, celebrities or the general public. They tend to get a bit tedious after a while and it is easy to find yourself examining the backdrop. This is invariably a bookshelf or a couple of weird paintings that are often far more interesting than what the person is actually saying.
It's not a good time to be a statue
News, Roger Crutchley, Published on 14/06/2020
» This past week has seen statues of controversial historical figures under attack around the globe. It is surprising it has taken so long. Hopefully the statues can be used for educational purposes by being placed into museums, accompanied by accurate historical accounts of what these people really did. The statues are an important reminder of an inglorious part of history. There is a possibility, however, that any statue or monument could become a target. One problem with statues is that they are quite vulnerable unless they are atop towering columns, like Nelson in Trafalgar Square.
Well, it's only a slogan after all
News, Roger Crutchley, Published on 24/05/2020
» The Tourism Authority of Thailand has decreed that the "Amazing Thailand" slogan will need rebranding once the coronavirus situation is sorted out. So from October, we will be treated to "Amazing Trusted Thailand", emphasising safety and aimed at "high-end" tourists. Well-intentioned as it may be, this new slogan doesn't exactly roll off the tongue and the middle word may prompt a few wry smiles.