Capitalism
Farce and Tragedy
Once again the music has stopped, and much like the Kenyan child of the ’80s and ’90s, today’s young are watching and listening as the adults reel under the weight of IMF-driven cuts to social [more…]
Blog
Diary
A View From (Just By) The Greenhouse; Diversity? It’s Our Strength…Innit?
I arrived at the greenhouse on Saturday to find that Burt had returned from his winter sojourn in a bit of a sorry state. He’d been visiting distant relatives somewhere in central Europe (either Albania, [more…]
20th Century
The War we think ended in 1945
Most people believe World War II ended in 1945. In reality, its most important consequences were only beginning. The fighting stopped. The maps were redrawn. The narrative was presented as settled—and fixed in place. But [more…]
20th Century
Afghanistan as it was (1973)
After several requests from fellow Puffins, I finally got off my arse to rummage around in the attic and miraculously unearthed a bunch of diaries from over fifty years ago, and most importantly the one [more…]
America
Causes of Uncontrollable US Public Spending and Debt
Annual US public spending has been in deficit for decades. As a result total US debt continues to increase year after year with no end in sight. Well, the end may not be in sight [more…]
19th Century
The Scrapbook of Sherlock Holmes, 2/6: The Missing Archbishop. Part 2 of 2
The Archbishop’s housekeeper, who had been watching us from the edge of the room as we made the horrid discovery, was trembling and trying to restrain her tears. ‘Mrs Armitage,’ said Holmes, ‘we are depending [more…]
Animals
Larry’s Diary, Week Three Hundred And Twenty-Four
Monday Good morning, my friends. It was lovely and sunny this morning when I woke up, not too cold when I popped out, and it doesn’t look like it’s going to rain. But the forecast [more…]
Engineering
So I Bought a Milk Float
Now I’m no greenie, no time for all that net-zero nonsense and Mad Ed’s delusions, but I do have green tech, because it suits me and my particular circumstances. I have solar panels and 16kwh [more…]
Fiction
On Dangerous Ground, Chapter Sixteen
Week Six. There was a crowd in the range, the competition, which happened every Sunday was in three parts, inside with a Glock, outside using an SA80, the final part was back inside with a [more…]