I have started a number of posts recently on a variety of topics, all of them very much in the news, and important. Like how pointless the UN seems to be if it keeps pretending Syria isn't poisoning its own citizens, how maybe Edward Snowden's defection to Russia isn't quite as ironic as all that... Continue Reading →
The nationality of objects
An American singer called Kelly Clarkson, who is apparently really quite successful, bought a ring at auction in England last year. She paid £150,000 for it. For that kind of price, I'd be looking for a blue diamond, but she bought a rather unfashionable 19th century round turquoise in a gold setting. It happened to... Continue Reading →
Is London still a place to live?
Along with everyone who isn't getting a six-figure bonus, but is having a baby, we have recently joined the legions of people who used to live in some quaint flat near an urban park and a main road selling whatever is the local speciality, but now live in a commuter town within an hour's travel... Continue Reading →
Imagined sexism?
We have recently bought our first house. Initially, I didn't really think about it a whole lot; renting has become less economical, and even if you end up with a lot of maintenance costs on a purchase, at least you're gradually building an investment. It certainly makes me feel like even more of a responsible... Continue Reading →
The death of idealism
Idealism is not exactly original. Pretty much every slightly geeky 15 year old is a blank slate of dreams; they all think the world is a bit magical, and populated by people who think deeply about the same things they do. They also think their thoughts on the meaning of life are highly original, and... Continue Reading →
The joy of drinking
Listening to Rehab is probably an inappropriate moment to reflect on the deep joy of drinking. It's something I've been thinking about for many months now, ever since this whole business of producing healthy offspring put paid to some of my more irresponsible pleasures. Erdinger Alkoholfrei is the nicest tasting non-alcoholic beer I've found, but... Continue Reading →
Othello at the National – quite good
Last night I went to se Othello at the National Theatre, with Adrian Lester. I had seen an abridged production with Lenny Henry in the west end a few years ago, and was lastingly touched by the tragedy of jealous murder and betrayal. Lenny Henry was quite a revelation, his 6 feet five frame so... Continue Reading →
First world problems
I keep trying to remind myself that the things I worry about are largely a luxury, fillers in a life that has always been entirely devoid of the effects of civil war, hunger or poverty - not that I think it's particularly helpful to suggest that everyone's problems are all trivial just because they have... Continue Reading →
The problem with not working
The less busy I am, the less I take time to write. I spend hours thinking about what I would write, lying in bed when I wake up and excitedly thinking, "yes, that's it, that's exactly what sums up what was bad about Oblivion, I'll write that". Or thinking about more serious topics that I... Continue Reading →
The anachronistic idiocy of weddings
I recently got engaged, and am very much looking forward to marrying the man I want to spend the rest of my life with. Thetrouble is that the wedding part seems to be fraught with a weight of other people's expectations; I have always thought that while the marriage is for the couple, the wedding... Continue Reading →
The resting writer 