Ecuador’s big cell.

Alright, I give in. Things could be worse. Here’s me getting all gloomy about the state of our nation but it doesn’t take a lot of effort to find somewhere in the world that sounds a hell of a lot further down from purgatory, from whichever angle you come at it. I mean, what if, […]

That gasoline smell.

Sorry, I’m a little bit confused. Like I can smell gasoline. When did Britain become a third world country? Not that we use that term anymore because we have nicer, more optimistic and less honest descriptions like ‘developing’. Try telling the general population of Haiti that they’re ‘developing’ and they’ll very likely put a Vodou […]

Gas, and other problems.

It feels, to me, like we’re getting mixed messages about the environment. It feels like there are too many words coming out of too many holes. And if it isn’t words it’s actions, and most of those actions don’t seem to be adding up to an awful lot. Other times there are nothing but words […]

Dust to dust.

They’re funny things, funerals. Not ha-ha funny, clearly, and usually not weird funny either. Funerals and wakes. Just funny, odd, somehow counterintuitive when you think about it for too long. Not that I’m the man to ask about funerals. I’ve only been to three, and one of them was yesterday. Before that there was a […]

ABBACADABRA.

What is it about ABBA? People just can’t seem to get enough of them. Not that I have a problem with ABBA, per se. Over the ten years they were together they produced some terrific pop, and I read the other day some ridiculous stats about their all conquering compilation ‘ABBA Gold’. I forget what […]

A sense of sense.

In the last few days we have managed to watch two films about being deaf. This was not all part of the plan. We haven’t suddenly decided to only watch films that revolve around the lives of those with hearing impairment and nor have we any particular desire to unlock the power of sign language, […]

On Charlie Watts.

Charlie Watts probably wasn’t quite the best drummer the world has ever heard, but he was one of the best, and he may even go down as the greatest – which isn’t quite the same thing. Imagine what his life must have been like, spending as he did pretty much three quarters of it as […]

Crying wolf.

Did you know that wolves have a sense of smell between 10,000 and 100,000 times more sensitive than humans? No, neither did I. It doesn’t help that it isn’t true. And how could you possibly know something that isn’t true. When I first heard it I felt compelled to start writing this immediately; it just […]

Talibantics.

Jeez (not sure that’s the best word), it sure looks busy in Afghanistan at the moment. I bet it’s hard to get a cup of coffee out there and drink it with a steady hand, what with all the accumulated shenanigans, tomfoolery and hi-jinks. What a palaver! Don’t worry, I know it’s serious: if I […]

A bit of Olympics.

Earlier on today I found myself watching the Olympics, as I have found myself doing so much over the last couple of weeks. It just happened to be USA v Australia in the women’s beach volleyball final, and for all that’s been said about the atmosphere at these games to be honest I didn’t really […]