I have been reading of the latest round of interventions by the large Media groups so stop people pirating their goods and believe there is an interesting and very human dynamic that has not been well explored on the Internet. The act of sharing – taking a piece of music or software – and physically…
Month: February 2012
If Not A Writer Then …
I have often thought if I had not chosen to be a writer then I would have been everything else. The research I used to do in libraries every week, having a list of things to find out, the constant need for encyclopedias and reference books makes a writer a jack-of-all-trades and master of one….
A Cartoon Life
It is easy to mock those who lead us, as easy to rant against the tyrannical leaders of others. To a great degree the mocking is necessary both for us and them, for its brings them down-a-peg and it gives us a form of power over the powerful. Cartooning a situation is so much of…
Katherine Philips (1631-1664)
Friendship’s Mystery, To my Dearest Lucasia Come, my Lucasia, since we see That Miracles Mens faith do move, By wonder and by prodigy To the dull angry world let’s prove There’s a Religion in our Love. For though we were design’d t’ agree, That Fate no liberty destroyes, But our Election is as free As…
The Fight For Peace
It is a strange aspect of our existence that we do one thing because we hope for the exact opposite. In fact we do the thing for that reason; so we go to war, so that we can have peace. At least that is what we do these days. But in other times that was…
Ancient And Modern
We live in interesting times. A sentiment that can be justifiably expressed by every human being all over the world throughout history. As if we are impressed that anything should be happening whilst we are alive. But we are all living history and not just in the political and nation-state senses. Physicists test out their…
Geoffrey Chaucer
A Rondel of Merciless Beauty – The Original I. 1. Youre two eyn will sle me sodenly I may the beaute of them not sustene, So wendeth it thorowout my herte kene. 2. And but your words will helen hastely My hertis wound, while that it is grene, Youre two eyn will sle me sodenly….
Let’s Play, Play, Play The Game
If you have read Kim by Rudyard Kipling you will be aware of the long and testing spy war fought alongside the military wars between Russia and Britain over Afghanistan. This was brought to mind today when Russia stood firm against UN declarations against Assad in Syria whilst people died, and my thoughts went once…
The Cold
According to the news two hundred homeless people are now dead in Europe from the cold, frozen to death on various streets along with a few tragic people too poor to heat their homes. More are going to die, thousands are suffering. And all governments can say is this would not happen if they had…
When In Rome
The recent revenge on a few bankers is almost too ridiculous to mention for the panaceas thrown to the people have always been the way of tyrants and despots and I am sure a few hundred years ago a few men would be without their heads today. What was more interesting was a contrite business…