Literature
Riding the donkou through Japan
When you read about Japanese trains, the first thing that comes to mind is probably the shinkansen, the world’s first bullet train and still a wonder to behold and to ride in. Or you [more…]
Blog
20th Century
My Leg Ends of Pop Music – Part Twenty – The Smiths – Morrissey
My Leg Ends of Pop Music – Part Twenty – Morrisey/Smiths After 60 proper legends of pop (OK, you may have thought that some were a bit iffy), it is now time for my Top [more…]
Arts
Always Worth Saying’s Question Time Review
Question Time 2nd February 2023 The Panel: John Lamont (Conservative) Ian Murray (Labour) Jenny Gilruth (SNP) Ella Whelan (Journalist) India Willoughby (Broadcaster) Venue: Glasgow If Westminster is a village then I’m forced to concede to [more…]
Fiction
Jinnie’s Story – Book Four, Chapter Twenty-Nine
Jinnie was up early, she had fed and changed the twins who were now peacefully sleeping. She had also fed a persistent Larry and was wondering whether to return to bed to try to get [more…]
Business
The death of the middle class is the death of civil society
The middle class in the West has been shrinking for years, but after the covid crisis and especially after the inflation explosion, whatever was left of it is now basically under threat of extinction. This [more…]
History
Who Do I Think I Am?
I think I’ve mentioned this before on these very pages. Perhaps it’s because I am of a certain age and demeanour. Is it the slightly haggard, worldly look or a hint of exotic places in [more…]
Arts
A Postcard From a Long Christmas Cruise, Part Three
7th December – At Sea I can hardly believe that today is the 7th day of my cruise time is flying by. We are heading on a course of 244°, approximately south westerly and it [more…]
Arts
A Postcard From India; Gandhi, His Politics, The People
As I’ve said before during this series of posts, following my recent trip to The Sub Continent, India is a land of often stark contrasts. Its population (official figure) is approaching 1.5 billion people, nobody [more…]
Going Postal
Happy 7th Birthday Going Postal
It hasn’t been a great year, no change there then. Yet another event has divided people, this time Ukraine – Covid previously. I can’t say I understand the Ukraine/Russia divide, supporting either side to me [more…]