Why Don't You (switch off your TV set)?
Written October 2026 The box. The telly. The tube. Friendly, familiar names for something that has been in the homes of almost every citizen for the past 50 years or more, pouring unfiltered shite into the conscious and subconscious of billions of people, day in, day out. Seven days a week. And now, thanks to progress, 24 hours per day. Innocent sounding names for something which is really quite sinister. The propaganda device, the brainwasher, the liar, would perhaps be more
2 days ago6 min read
What's for dinner? And other atrocities.
Written August 2026 The internet age has brought with it many disturbing side effects, not least the erosion of the rather likeable human quality of decorum. People of all walks of life have been captured, lured into the world of TikTok, to film themselves participating in the latest “trend” in the hope of getting a few clicks and likes. Perhaps I’m just a humourless bore, but I am not the least amused or entertained by watching grown adults flopping to the ground because som
Aug 238 min read
The Unbearable Weight of Knowledge
Written July 2026 This week, a dear friend who was just 56 years old passed away, and to say that it came as a shock is an enormous understatement. Just four weeks ago, we were engaging in our usual morning work routine, making tea, and chatting about the weekend, our families; today, a mere 28 days later, she’s gone. It seems unreal and is almost more than I can bear. A few years previously, she had been diagnosed with breast cancer, and as is standard, as we have been convi
Jul 96 min read
Trolling Tragedies (or Asking Questions)
Written June 2026 This week marked the two-year anniversary of the curious case of Jay Slater, the British teenager who allegedly fell to his death while on holiday in Tenerife. To recap, after being reported missing by a friend, Jay’s body was allegedly found in a ravine a month later, the 19-year-old seemingly having suffered a catastrophic head injury from the fall. The case attracted huge press attention, as well as a considerable amount of speculation by “online ghouls”.
Jun 197 min read
Truth and Trust
Written June 2026 The 1969 “moon landings” have long been my benchmark, perhaps slightly arrogantly, for ascertaining the depth of a person’s perception skills. I have been a moon landing denier from a young age, and it has always struck me as unfathomable that anyone could believe not least the blatant fakery of the footage from “the moon”, but also the inability of the authorities to explain the inexplicable. The landline telephone call from the White House to the moon shou
Jun 116 min read
Pure and Unadulterated Lies
Written April 2026 In the heady days of my late teens, I was a college student enjoying the folly of youth, which meant putting the minimum of effort into the incredibly dull course I was studying during the week (admittedly ditching a few lectures to play pool and drink cider in the local) and looking forward to the weekends, which were whiled away with friends at pubs and clubs. We also enjoyed raves of the kind that only 1990s kids will remember, sometimes in an abandoned
Apr 2617 min read
TMI? Yes. Definitely TMI.
Written April 2026 At the risk of being called a proper prude, I am sick and tired of the trend for women in the public eye declaring to the world just how sexually active they are, and embellishing their statements with sordid descriptives of just how “out there” they are with their tastes and proclivities. I’m not even talking of the bullshittery that is “Bonnie Blue”, whose activities seem, frankly, completely implausible, in fact, impossible. I’m referring instead to the
Apr 153 min read
