Having an old cottage in the county of Cornwall brings with it some challenges, in the main trying to make a home that was built two hundred and fifty years ago for dirt poor farm labourers who were supposed to be out in the fields all day, into a modern home. But there are some…
What Is Freedom For?
Most concepts have many facets. For the most part thinkers have seen freedom as a challenge, based on a natural urge to impose some ethical structure upon the actions of human beings. In fact thinkers down the ages have concentrated on these actions as have governments as they emerged as necessary forms of control upon…
Ink
There is something about ink that beats ballpoint pens every time; the smell is different, the pens are a lot different and far more beautiful, and the whole filling procedure and seeing the ink flow into the page and how different papers soak up the ink differently are things that perhaps only a professional calligrapher…
Apostille
Very few of you will know what this is. Those of you who are lawyers will know very well. But apparently I need one which may or may not be painful but will certainly cost some money. We all know about document verification of whatever sort be they official to Government or business (or both)…
Excalibur
So many knights; so many stories of better times. Well no, not better just easier to fathom. You have a deadly dragon and you are a knight who has taken an oath and off you go. Evil this, good that. The world is not like that there are very few instances of good and very…
Magic Wands
Traditionally they come in many shapes and sizes and varying degrees or reality (and with CGI, I imagine invisible/transparent DNA reading wands will become more prevalent in the years ahead) but they all have one thing in common. They are wielded. They are a hand tool. Why? I am sure someone, somewhere has thought of…
Cartoons
At last the cartoons are being drawn for A Brief History Of Lies. Calvin Innes whom I met at linked-in is reading the manuscript as I write and the cartoons will be with me before the end of January. This leaves me the task to typesetting around them, and seeking a new proof which usually…
Bookmarks
We make them out of almost anything in this family. Anything that has some colour and if it doesn’t have colour then out come the colour pencils. I am not sure if it classes as a tradition but almost every book of the thousands here has their own. Some are charity thin cardboard paintings sent…
Fire
Perhaps it’s the three inches of snow outside that says ‘no grocery delivery today’ that made me think of warmth. Or maybe it was the fact that coming downstairs on a dark winter’s morning I was delighted to find the stove in the front room still burning merrily. And I wonder about opposites. I wonder…
And, after all, what is a lie? ‘Tis but the truth in masquerade. Lord Byron
A Brief History Of Lies A survey of a wicked, irreverent, serious, harmful, cruel and enjoyable (for some) side of human civilisation. Including quotes on lies and lying (good, bad and indifferent) from famous people who should know better. I wrote this book because of the new research carried out in 2005 and now improved…