Arts
Hark! The Herald Angels Sing
Painted in about 1470/75, it is in the National Gallery. In memory of Caroline Catherine McNicholas 2nd October 1957 – 3rd January 2022 OldTrout
Philosophy
Arts
O Come, O Come, Emmanuel
O come, O come, Emmanuel, And ransom captive Israel, That mourns in lonely exile here, Until the Son of God appear. Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel Shall come to thee, O Israel. O come, Thou Rod of [more…]
Christianity
Christianity
A Trip to the Temple
London, despite its many many issues, is still a nice place to visit, to wonder at the beautiful architecture and to explore its history. Of course you no longer expect to see many English people [more…]
Authoritarianism
Why Courage — Not Convenience — Is the Foundation of Free Speech
In an age obsessed with stability, optimisation, and institutional authority, we are losing sight of the simplest truth: freedom of speech is the core condition for national and international security. Not because speech itself is [more…]
Biography
Shabana Mahmood. Avoid.
As only the third female Lord Chancellor since Eleanor of Provence in 1253, upon being elevated to the role 771 years later present Home Secretary, Shabana Mahmood, eulogised during her acceptance speech. “I must say [more…]
Philosophy
Dog-walking Thoughts No 4 – There Is A Natural Order To All Things
Nature is the great repairer. This, I know, is not a Nobel-prize winning discovery. We see it everywhere every year and certainly where man has moved on and abandoned anywhere to the ‘elements’. Nature cleans [more…]
Democracy
The Interesting And Disturbing Case of Nathan Gill
Washington Dulles Our interesting and disturbing case begins in July 2021, when FBI agents stop a certain Mr Oleg Voloshyn at Washington Dulles Airport. The agents extract WhatsApp messages from Mr Voloshyn’s phone, which show [more…]
Ethics
London’s Grooming
Baroness Casey Baroness Casey is the author of several major reports addressing institutional failure, social integration, and policing culture. Her 2015 work, Reflections on Child Sexual Exploitation, provided guidance for local authorities and police forces [more…]