Stamped out....
When I was a kid in the 1960s - even through my teenage years - one of the things that often seemed to start getting publicised at this time of year was the charitable stamp collection. The idea was t…
Gutterdamerung....
This morning at Pritchard Towers, I'd just sat down to breakfast in the smaller dining-room, and Jeeves was just bringing the starter course of three scrambled Ostrich eggs when there was a thunderous…
When unfriending is the friendly thing to do
I'm not a great social media junkie; I think I have a Tumblr account, somewhere. I don't have an Instagram account or use Reddit, and whilst Blackberry Messenger is (apparently) installed and availab…
Progress so far....
A few weeks ago I decided to try and get back in to regularly writing. This came after a conversation with my wife in which we recollected that in the 1980s I was able to earn about 50% of my income t…
Unhappy the land that needs heroes....??
The line : "Unhappy is the land that needs a hero." comes from Bertholt Brecht's 'Life of Gallileo' and has stuck with me for many, many years. I can't remember when I first heard it, but it still ra…
Today you, tomorrow me
The first thing I do when I get up in the morning is feed the cats, then make tea, then sit and allow some of my higher brain functions to come online, usually whilst browsing Facebook. There then co…
The JAMs
A new set of initials entered the language of British politics this week - JAM. They stand for 'Just About Managing' and refer to families or individuals who are just about getting by in the current …
The Why of Spam...
Not the delicious and non-nutritious tinned pork product, but the unsolicited email. Spam has a long history: "On May 3, 1978, the Internet witnessed a glorious and not particularly welcome birth: The…
Practicing thanksgiving
In a rare example of timeliness, I want to talk about thanksgiving. However, not just about the American holiday, but about the general idea of giving thanks for stuff. I know it sounds a bit Pollyan…
It's a dangerous world....
The Advertising Standards Authority managed to drag a wry smile out of me this morning as I read the news that they'd banned an advert for Heinz Baked Beans because it might encourage children to hurt…