It’s all about perception and preconception. When we learn of someone/something, we use what evidence we can see or what we’ve heard to make immediate judgments and decisions. You see a bloke on the street coming towards you holding a big knife, you cross the road. But if he’s wearing a butchers outfit and is – Read More-
We decided to go the theatre on Sunday night. With ‘the kids’. Both our kids and their kids. Part of their cultural education for which I’m the main protagonist. Well, I’m in charge of culture, football and punching. Eclectic, innit. Anyway, Joey wanted to see Uncle Vanya, what with being a big Chekhov fan an’ – Read More-
About 3 weeks ago I was at a dinner party at some friends. Was lovely. One woman had just produced a ‘healthy eating’ cookery book, which is fab. We had a copy and actually ate some of the… errrr… pages. Well, the recipes, apparently. As pictured on those pages. All good, fab and quite delish. – Read More-
The difference between death and taxes is that you can die quickly. Painlessly. Whereas tax is slow, lingering, increasingly agonising and just when you think you’re cured, the ‘surgeon’ looks at the scans and says: “oh, I’ve just seen something here…” Ok, maybe the ‘accountant’ but we’re talking metaphors here. And accountants can only ever – Read More-
The Royal Society, the very old, venerated, distinguished and revered, scientific ‘national treasure’ (but literally so), has a new president. And, (shock warning, stay seated and find your ‘happy place’ before reading on), it is… a man! Why is it a shock? Because in all its years, dating all the way back to 1660, they’ve – Read More-
In 1970 Wishbone Ash arrived on the scene. A new rock band. Different. They had two lead guitarists. Who played at the same time. Sometimes simultaneously. Often almost battling. They sounded different to other bands. So we ‘adopted’ them. Chose them as the leaders of our air guitar play. Like a lot of rock bands – Read More-
A terrible thing has happened. An Israeli tank, escaping from Hezbollah anti-tank missiles, reversed through the gates of a UN compound in Southern Lebanon. Causing damage estimated at in excess of £34.82. And obviously resulting in stress to many of the staff, now being treated for PTSD in accordance with UN regulation 22539. Which stipulates – Read More-
It is with a heavy heart that I report the untimely death of Alex Salmond. The politician, statesman, orator, former first minster of all of Scotland, party leader, divisive separatist evangelical, rapist, sexual tormentor and friend of Nicola Sturgeon. He never made inappropriate advances to Nicola. But who the hell would? So the courts found – Read More-
If a day is a long time in politics,3 days is fucking massive in not hearing from me. I’ve been busy. Couldn’t spare the time to write. Better things to do with my life. And thanks for all the messages of concern, ensuring I’m still alive, in decent health and all those other things you’re – Read More-
It’s October 7th. The anniversary of the day the world changed. My world changed. To ‘celebrate’ a hundred hostages still in captivity in Gaza. Probably. They could be anywhere. They could be dead. So today all the papers are leading with the ‘troubles’ in the Middle East. Where will they end? Can ‘diplomacy save us’? – Read More-