RSS feed
Welcome to my new blog

Welcome to my new blog

Slightly belatedly, because it went live more than a week ago, welcome to my spruced up, redesigned blog. I love it. And I hope you love it too: let me know. The blog functionality is powered by Wordpress: a free bit of open source software that I can't praise highly enough. Not only is it ... Read more »
Thinking about NaNoWriMo

Thinking about NaNoWriMo

I'm 90% certain that I'll have a pop at NaNoWriMo this year. Never heard of it? Basically, you have the 30 days of November to write 50,000 words. Why would I do this? In my desk drawer there are three hefty chunks of novels in various unfinished states. The first I worked on for about 3 years ... Read more »
Tina Fey as Sarah Palin on Saturday Night Live

Tina Fey as Sarah Palin on Saturday Night Live

Satire lives. I thought that everyone had been enjoying Tina Fey's totally brilliant impersonation of Sarah Palin on Saturday Night Live for the past few weeks. But several people I know haven't seen it and more than that, the Governor of Alaska's genuine appearance on SNL last night has just been ... Read more »
Reporting America, Reporting Britain

Reporting America, Reporting Britain

The Eccles Institute for American Studies hosted a fascinating talk at the British Library on Monday evening. Entitled 'Alistair Cooke: Reporting America, Reporting Britain' and commemorating the centenary of the great journalist and broadcaster's birth, the panel reflected on the differences and ... Read more »
My Old Boiler

My Old Boiler

It certainly has a Tardis-like charm and has provided me with a lot, an awful lot, of hot water. But it's 23 years old and has been replaced by an upstart combi boiler. If your boiler says 'Made in West Germany' on it, may I suggest it's time to bid ... Read more »
The Guardian on Class and Diet. Would you like Fries with that?

The Guardian on Class and Diet. Would you like Fries with that?

Using Jamie Oliver's Ministry of Food as a hook, the Guardian published an interesting piece about how class is a key determinant of diet and always has been. There's much lefty hand-wringing about working folk munching on takeaways and high-calorie, high-fat food with little nutritional value. Not ... Read more »
The Sun and Middle-class Angst

The Sun and Middle-class Angst

It's one of those things that I can't square. I like The Sun. And yet The Sun is full of nonsense, knee-jerk near Nazism on occasion. But it is also a humourous and brilliantly crafted newspaper that knows its readers. Here's the sort of thing it does so well. I was flicking through my (papery) ... Read more »
Lots of Love. Labour's not lost.

Lots of Love. Labour’s not lost.

I spent two hours phoning voters on Saturday afternoon, on behalf of the Labour party. From a personal perspective, it's an activity I loathe. After all, who wants to be disturbed by an activist (of any persuasion) on a glorious sunny Saturday afternoon? I'd rather give them my mobile number so ... Read more »
Latin is not in the Dictionary

Latin is not in the Dictionary

According to the new Scrabble game on Facebook, Latin is not in the dictionary. Shurely shome ... Read more »
In Praise of Window Cleaners

In Praise of Window Cleaners

Eyes down, look in. As I sat watching paint dry, I wondered whether this was just too dull, too pointless or too trivial to blog. But no, I decided I would make my dullest blog post ever. My windows before and after cleaning, as seen from my desk. Enjoy. Amended to add this, at Lynne's ... Read more »
The Brighton Trunk Murders: A Very Modern Tale.

The Brighton Trunk Murders: A Very Modern Tale.

The Brighton Trunk Murders are the stuff of legend. In Brighton, people still talk about the unrelated murders of two women whose remains were left in trunks in 1934. The crime involving the pregnant decapitated torso with 'pretty feet' was never solved. In the other case, Tony Mancini was ... Read more »
Recently I have...

Recently I have…

... Visited Chicago. A beautiful, relaxed and entertaining city. The weakness of the dollar made things so pleasingly affordable. ... Seen Kaki King and, also, The Tigerlillies. She was a bit dull, if worthy. They were hysterically anarchic and rude. Guess which one I preferred. ... Travelled ... Read more »
Recently I Have...

Recently I Have…

... become an enthusiastic, if not expert, gardener. The sweet peas, rocket, herbs, tomatoes, spinach and lettuces are coming along. The petunias, lupins and marigolds have been savaged by cats and snails. Grr. ... Enjoyed Vampire Weekend in Camden (but not at the Great Escape in Brighton). ... Read more »
Great Escape Festival Diary: 17/v/08

Great Escape Festival Diary: 17/v/08

Esser braves the Saturday afternoon rain at Jubilee Square, but I miss it. I'm girding my loins for a struggle to see Santogold and a possible 2am gig if we miss her at Digital earlier in the evening. But all bets are off when she cancels both gigs. So we head for the nearest venue: Komedia for the ... Read more »