Showing 71 - 80 of 658
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.
Poster boys and girls near final straight
News, Roger Crutchley, Published on 30/04/2023
» Try as you might you just cannot escape the forthcoming election with all those posters dangling from lampposts and the few remaining trees. The posters have been there for several months now and some are beginning to look a little the worse for wear, especially after this week's welcome rain in Bangkok. There is possibly nothing less appealing than a soggy political poster... apart from a soggy politician.
A rare occasion when 'dogs are allowed'
News, Roger Crutchley, Published on 23/04/2023
» Earlier this month an art museum in Athens opened its doors to dogs so the canine community could experience a quiet sniff around important works of art. This might seem rather trivial but when you consider that the "No Dogs Allowed" sign is one of the most familiar around the world the dogs need as much moral support as they can get. It must be a bit disheartening for hounds to be greeted everywhere by signs that they are not wanted… an odd way to treat man's best friend.
The curious case of the missing column
News, Roger Crutchley, Published on 16/04/2023
» Many thanks to readers who expressed concern about the non-appearance of PostScript last Sunday. Some feared Crutch might have been under the weather or had even departed for the Great Typewriter in the Sky. Others thought I had fled the scene in a bid to escape Songkran, which in retrospect would not have been a bad idea.
Lots of promises as big day approaches
News, Roger Crutchley, Published on 02/04/2023
» With the Great Event, otherwise known as election day, just around the corner, like most countries in the world we will have to brace ourselves for regular helpings of political poppycock including plenty of promises from prospective candidates. Still, it could be fun.
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.
One fishy tale of becoming a Mister
News, Roger Crutchley, Published on 19/03/2023
» I got into a tangle last week referring to the Italian immigrant restaurateur Caesar Cardini as Senor when of course it should have been Signore. Apologies to all. I should have known better than to start dabbling with foreign honourifics. I have enough problems dealing with Mr, Mrs and Ms.
The Ides of March and perils of power
News, Roger Crutchley, Published on 12/03/2023
» This Wednesday will be the 74th day of the year, which admittedly doesn't sound like something to get too excited about. But it is not just any old day. Known in Roman times as the "Ides of March" the 15th marks the anniversary of the assassination of Julius Caesar in 44 BC.
Celluloid sleuths more fun in the old days
News, Roger Crutchley, Published on 05/03/2023
» I was watching a US cops and robbers film the other day in which the police were using those large portable phones that were around just at the start of the cellphone revolution. Nothing dates a film more than the type of phones they are using. Those unwieldy early portable phones look quite comical these days and seem more cumbersome than convenient.
When the answer is just a click away
News, Roger Crutchley, Published on 26/02/2023
» When I was about 12 I committed some misdemeanour in class and as a punishment the teacher ordered me to write a thousand-word essay on baseball and hand it in the next morning. This was something of a challenge as being an English kid I knew absolutely nothing about baseball other than it was some weird ritual they indulged in across the Pond.