I read 27 "Great British Short Stories" in 27 days (Daphne du Maurier's The Birds was a stand out, in a crowded field). I wanted to keep the short-story-a-day thing going and planned to do it with Isaac Asimov's 1956 collection "Earth is Room Enough" and George Saunder's "Tenth of December." The latter has escaped... Continue Reading →
Of Earthworms, Kings and due appreciation
There is a relationship between those who do the work and those who get the credit. Mostly it is an inverse relationship. That's how power - of men, of 'history' etc. work. More broadly, we focus on gaudy and big stuff, and are contemptuous/dismissive of the day-in, day-out, because they remind us of our fragility,... Continue Reading →
Juggling: Five ball flashes (unsolicited advice)
As some of you may recall, I have been (for several years, intermittently) learning to juggle. I can do some basic three ball tricks, and am now reasonably adept at 4 balls (various patterns). Over the last few weeks I have been doing the drills that help you get to five (short version - you... Continue Reading →
Review: “Chomsky: Oracle of the State” byVarious #13Books
I am not buying or borrowing any more books until I read and review the 13 that I bought (for a grand total of £17.50) in London on Friday 10th October 2025. You can see the list and the rationale here. Title: Chomsky: Oracle of the State. An assorted bo of anti-Chomsky sentiments Author: Various... Continue Reading →
Review: “The Little Green Book” by Vole #13Books
I am not buying or borrowing any more books until I read and review the 13 that I bought (for a grand total of £17.50) in London on Friday 10th October 2025. You can see the list and the rationale here. Title: The Little Green Book Author: Vole editors Richard Boston, Richard Holme and Richard... Continue Reading →
Title: “Science for All (1958)” by the National Book League #13Books
I am not buying or borrowing any more books until I read and review the 13 that I bought (for a grand total of £17.50) in London on Friday 10th October 2025. You can see the list and the rationale here. Title: Science for All Author: Anon Year of publication: 1958 Publisher and location: The... Continue Reading →
Film reviews (brief) – “Hard Boiled” and “The Killing of a Chinese Bookie”
Not two films that you would normally put together in a review but I have decided to write something - even if only a paragraph - about each film I watch. Hard Boiled (1992) was "fun" - all the John Woo balletic stuff, which looks dated because it has been so ripped off and riffed... Continue Reading →
“So Late in the Day” by Claire Keegan
Beautifully done, but "yikes". This was published in French under the title "Misogynic." Fits. It's one of those "creeps up on you, you know it is going to end very very badly and then it does and you're not surprised or deflated but simply deeply unsettled" stories. Terrifying but in an extremely understated and careful... Continue Reading →
Second (well, further) thoughts on “The Long Walk”
I saw it, I liked it, but I almost certainly won't watch it again. The further thoughts are these - there is a lot of genre play going on here. It's a slasher film but the Jason Voorhees is the state, bumping them off until the Final Girl (but in this case, a Final Boy).... Continue Reading →
It’s done! 27 short stories in 27 days
There's a sexist joke about a Hollywood starlet being interviewed on a late night talk show about her new book. Host: So, tell us about your book - it's your first, right? Starlet: Right! Well, when I started it people were really cruel and said I'd never finish it, that I was just some dumb... Continue Reading →
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