19th Century
Sit Down At Your Computer
QWERTY – Why? Sit down at your computer (or typewriter) and type a few lines. You can work out your speed and efficiency fairly easily – you have a rough knowledge of where the keys [more…]
19th Century
19th Century
Can lost production ever be recovered?
It’s easy to blame Covid-19 virus for the nation’s woes and, up to a point, that’s understandable. People who focus exclusively on the nation’s health tend to pay less attention to the economic damage wrought [more…]
19th Century
Lincoln Predicted How Americans Would Lose Their Freedoms
In 1839 Abraham Lincoln, a young twenty-eight year old lawyer, was asked by the Young Men’s Lyceum of Springfield, Illinois to address the group on “The Perpetuation of Our Political Institutions”. The result elevated Lincoln’s [more…]
19th Century
A Labour of Love
Introduction Hidden away in the heart of France’s Drôme region about 50km south of Lyon is a little known yet magnificently eccentric example of naïve architecture that is well worth a detour or, in my [more…]
17th Century
19th Century
When Popes Took Coke
The rise and fall of coca wine Coca leaves have been used as a stimulant in South America for over a thousand years, especially in the Andes to overcome the fatigue of living and working [more…]
18th Century
Are the aims of nationalism and protectionism the same?
The ideology of “nationalism” is characterised by the unstinting promotion of a particular nation’s interests, possibly regardless of detriment caused to the interests of other nations. Nationalism may therefore be considered a form of patriotism, [more…]
19th Century
Postcard From Cumbria (A Week in the Lake District) Part 2
Monday 22/09 Wray Castle-Hawkshead-Claife Viewing Station We’d a full day planned for Monday so it was an early start for us, initially to Ambleside for breakfast at “Kysty Café”. Kysty is Cumbrian dialect for fussy, [more…]
19th Century
The Final Betrayal?
Parliamentary session to discuss the Surrender Act starts at 9.30 am. Right click to open Parliament TV I’ll add a live feed and agenda when they become available. Crossword later today. Swiss Bob Update: Ministerial [more…]