World and Culture

People that moan about the UK all the time
It's one of the things that makes me bang my head against the wall with frustration. Why can't people in the UK just be grateful for what they have got? If they like other countries so much they should just pack their bags and move!
1-Jun-11 13:42

Are you a European or UK citizen?
I am a UK citizen but never have I felt less so than upon returning to the UK via Heathrow airport. Having spent nearly 2 weeks abroad, returning to the UK should have felt like returning home...
22-Apr-10 18:06

Disaster: why does food aid take so long to distribute?
The disastrous earthquake rocked Haiti a week ago and we still don't know how many Haitians are affected. The problem is the time it has taken for food aid and water to be distributed. How patient do they expect the people to be?
19-Jan-10 18:38

American English by default
You Americans really have got some nerve haven't you? I'd have thought the name would give an enormous clue as to the origin of the language. How dare you lay claim to our language when you can't even speak it properly.
28-Oct-08 13:59

British holiday makers in Spain
The typical British holiday maker in Spain, don't they make you just want to cringe? Ordering chips with everything with no attempt made to try a little Spanish, wandering around half naked, white blubber just hanging out.
30-Aug-08 16:19

Welcome to the US, please be paranoid
We have just come back from staying in Las Vegas for a week. My main gripe is that horrendous Green Card we all have to fill in before landing in the US. Are they really paranoid or what?
22-Apr-08 12:06

Britain is losing its Britishness
There is a distinct lack of patriotism in this country (some may say with good reason). You can't even compare with how fiercely patriotic American, Australians, South Africans and Scandinavian countries are.
10-Apr-08 18:57

In search of a more spiritual community
I'm very interested in belonging to a caring, more spiritual community. And by spiritual, I don't mean one wracked by traditional dogma. I don't wear dreadlocks and I don't conform to stereo-typical images of such communities.
5-Feb-08 23:47

Religious symbols in schools
I'm sick and fed up hearing about religion on the news and in particular, that yet another pupil has been excluded because they felt the need to manifest their religion by wearing some article of clothing or jewellery.
13-Nov-07 13:05

Britishness not taught to kids
We mustn't teach our kids to be British. How silly is that? Britishness in its original true form has shaped the world for hundreds of years rightly or wrongly, depending on your view.
11-May-07 12:34

Growing palm trees in the UK, no need for plastic
Surely there's no need to use plastic palm trees? As a Spaniard, paying frequent visits to the U.K., I am very surprised at the shoddy design and limited imagination of your resorts on the South Coast.
9-May-07 10:34

Why are English people so cold and unfriendly?
During the time I spent living in the UK I was always treated as a foreigner and found it difficult to form friendships with English people. Why are English people so cold and unfriendly to foreigners?
19-Mar-07 15:55

Celebrities that endorse charities
OK so if I mention this word I'm sure it's going to be controversial, but I'm going to say it anyway. CHARITY! Well my gripe is NOT with charities as such but rather with celebrities that endorse charities.
30-Aug-06 20:02

There's not enough scientific evidence
Be prepared to face up to the astonishing truth that nearly everything you see and hear is entirely without scientific evidence to prove that it is true. Scientific evidence allows us to be alive.
8-Aug-06 12:07

Scottish money not good enough in England
I've just returned from a short holiday in Scotland and I have brought back my Scottish currency. If you've ever tried to spend Scottish money in England you will probably be in a good position to understand my gripe.
16-Jan-06 18:39

Speaking in a foreign language to exclude others
We’ve got quite a melting pot of different ethnic groups here in the UK. However, our primary language as spoken by the vast majority of people is still English as far as I am aware.
5-Sep-05 12:55

Overfishing dolphins and whales to extinction
Once a long time ago there were plenty of fish in the sea but more than 40 years of overfishing has taken its tole on fish stocks.
5-May-01 00:00