Arts
A Very Different World
Imagine it is just a few years ago and the usual winter respiratory virus is going round. Some years it is heavy, some years less so. This year in question, from a few years ago, [more…]
Blog
20th Century
The Desert War – January 1941
The start of a new year and things are getting much warmer in the Mediterranean, North Africa and East Africa. The Luftwaffe arrived in Italy ready to bomb us at sea while Operation Compass continued [more…]
Authoritarianism
A Considered Appraisal of 2020 : That Was The Year That Was
2020……….Year Zero……….. The year the Global Capitalist Ruling Classes, having finished their dance of the seven veils, did away with the last figleaf of democracy and reminded everyone who is actually in charge, and exactly [more…]
Hobbies
Shunting up and down – Episode 8
We left this saga with some success and some frustrations. The track was mocked up in parts, with the track tester showing where more work was required (particularly around points). I’d made a ham fisted [more…]
Arts
Reexamining Corruption
It’s hard to make a pro-corruption argument. This might seem like a banal point to make, but it goes a long way to explaining its role as a rhetorical tool to delegitimise incumbent elites. Any [more…]
Animals
Wildfowling: Of possible futures
Sadly, this is the last in my short series about my great passion, and it is also the least satisfying part to write. It is no longer a missive about my personal experiences, but the [more…]
Authoritarianism
A Covid Debrief
I enjoyed a most enjoyable discussion on the numbers with the informed, articulate & fragrant Rebecca Butler secretary to the Free Speech Campaign, last evening sponsored by Open Dialogus. As a number crunching nerd myself [more…]
Fiction
The Man Who Played Ross – Chapter 2
DUNCAN Great happiness! ROSS That now Sweno, the Norways’ king, craves composition: Nor would we deign him burial of his men Till he disbursed at Saint Colme’s inch Ten thousand dollars to our general use. [more…]
Animals
Larry’s Diary, Week Seventy Five
Monday Hello everyone, I am a bit confused, it was Boxing Day on Saturday but it a bank holiday today and there seems to be very few in the office again. Well, at least there [more…]