Monday 22nd June 2026. (What are the Fafocene Diaries? See here). I used Paint to make this below. That was a mistake because, well, I used Paint to make this below. At the absolute minimum, I could have done it as a slide on googlesheets, and got the proportions and alignments right. Everything always half-assed.... Continue Reading →
Blog post Ovid’s Metamorphoses #004/111: “The Flood” Jove gets so pissed that he floods the planet – noah joke.
What this project is about. This one is from Book 1. How long it took to read this (aloud): 5 mins 20 secs What it’s “about”: Jove gets so pissed that he floods the planet - noah joke. Words I didn’t know: none Quotable quotes: He planned a breed of men of heaven’s make, different... Continue Reading →
Blog post Ovid’s Metamorphoses #003/111: “Ages of God, Silver, Bronze, and Iron”
What this project is about. This one is from Book 1. How long it took to read this (aloud): 10 mins What it’s “about”: The descent towards where we are now - everything was peachy under Saturn - permanent global spring time. Then came Jove, who brought seasons. Then came the age of Bronze -... Continue Reading →
Fafocene Diaries #05: “Pragmatic” frogs and boiling slowly.
Sunday 21st June 2026. (What are the Fafocene Diaries? See here). Well, France is getting it now, and we in the UK get it next week. Humans who are rich enough, lucky enough will have a bad time of it, even with their airconditioning. Humans who aren’t rich, who are sick, young or old, they... Continue Reading →
Fafocene Diary #04: Team Algae? Srsly? The satire Gods are just phoning it in now, aren’t They?
Saturday 20th June 2026. (What are the Fafocene Diaries? See here). Since the reign of George ‘Dubya’ Bush (2001-2009) I’ve been saying that the Universe wants satirists to starve. You wouldn’t dare make this shit up, it’s far too on the nose. Now, with the latest farce of the Trump “administration” - the corrupt/botched reflecting... Continue Reading →
Ovid’s Metamorphoses – “Then careless things took shape…”
Blog post Ovid’s Metamorphoses #001/111: “Invocation” What this project is about. This one is from Book 1. How long it took to read this (aloud): 28 seconds What it’s “about”: Ovid setting the scene, asking ‘God’ to help him out Words I didn’t know: none Quotable quotes: “Now I shall tell of things that change”... Continue Reading →
Fafocene Diaries: #03: The King over the Water gets on a Ro-Ro… (Starmer, Burnham etc)
Friday 19th June 2026. (What are the Fafocene Diaries? See here). Woke up this morning to the news that 42% of the people who turned out to vote (59% turn out) in the Makerfield by-election voted for a faaar-right candidate (35% Reform, 7% Restore). Fortunately tactical voting by Lib Dems and Greens helped The King... Continue Reading →
Fafocene Diaries #02: At least Nuclear War would have been quick
Thursday 18th June 2026. (What are the Fafocene Diaries? See here). Last night I listened to my somewhat brilliant wife give a talk she has (mostly) given before. During the bits I’d heard before I bashed out seven quatrains (iambic tetrameter, aabb rhyme) about, well, the Fafocene. These will be the prompts for future diary... Continue Reading →
Fafocene Diaries #01: have we been here before?
Weds 17th June 2026. (What are the Fafocene Diaries? See here). Yesterday I finished the basic tidy up of the CO2 Newsletter texts. (1). The CO2 Newsletter, founded and edited by William Barbat, ran from 1979 to 1982. It came out ever two months and was a round-up of what was being written, said and... Continue Reading →
Pop go the rivets
At some point in the mid-late 1980s (I think), I read a novel written in the 60s or 70s (I think) about submarine warfare. This was pre-Tom Clancy stuff, not technoporn. More the gritty, sweaty industrial stuff. Anyway, in the book in question (Event-1000?) a submarine is damaged (I forget if due to hostile action,... Continue Reading →