Is it happening to anyone else that responses to posts are simply disappearing into the ether. I'm finding I have to check constantly via my own WP stats whether people have commented, so if I haven't responded, WP has eaten my homework.
Occasional ravings
What happened to genuinely funny?
During the recent unpleasantness, my viewing habits have ranged far and wide, including of course the world of stand-up comedy (of which I am an occasional practitioner). In this process, I have become struck by a new breed of comedian whose schtick mainly consists of outing themselves as gay at multi-decibel level, as if their … Continue reading What happened to genuinely funny?
Coronavirus: We’re paying a high price for saving not many lives
This piece, by Adam Creighton, Economics Editor, of ‘The Australian’ newspaper, a Murdoch publication (boo, hiss) taps into some of the issues raised by Daniel Ben-Horin in a guest post on this blog and my earlier post on this issue. My greatest fear is that the economic cost to future generations of what we have … Continue reading Coronavirus: We’re paying a high price for saving not many lives
The apotheosis of identity politics (or enjoy your social security).
This is a guest post from a friend of mine in the USA, Daniel Ben-Horin, who has his own take on the issue I raised in a recent post about C-19. So we have this bad virus that is morbid for people with pre-existent conditions, foremost among which is being old. If you’re a healthy … Continue reading The apotheosis of identity politics (or enjoy your social security).
‘Substantial Justice : a novel’ by Daniel Ben-Horin
Do yourself a favour and check out this intriguing debut novel. You can get a flavour of the book in the reviews already posted, including one by yours truly, but readers will be richly rewarded by purchasing this ripping yarn with an ongoing thread of romance.
Choosing the way to go
Lest you leap to the conclusion that this is just another woe-is-us piece on the world bequeathed to us by the C-word, list a while. It is my attempt to suggest a rational and compassionate way forward. Much as The Who pined to die before they got old in ‘My Generation’, today’s younger generation tend … Continue reading Choosing the way to go
Common language
It has been said that Britain and the USA are ‘Two countries divided by a common language’ (a saying whose origin causes heated arguments and makes people Wilde, for Shaw). Let’s make that three, to include Australia, with its close attachment to the British version of English (but not exclusively). There are no regional differences … Continue reading Common language
Silly Saturday – Caring for Criminals in Corona Crisis
Hilarious take on the virus’s effect on the criminal classes.
Whether you are a mugger, pick pocket or burglar this current pandemic is bad news. With crowds a thing of the past the pick pocket stands no chance of earning a living, while the mugger fairs little better with the streets nearly empty. As shoppers are being requested to use their cards instead of cash, those few people out will probably not be carrying cash. But spare a thought for the burglar; everyone is confined to home, not an empty house to be found. The chancellor has offered no help at all to career criminals, who through no fault of their own find themselves without an income.
There is a ray of hope with an increase in cyber crime; you can make phone calls and send emails claiming to be from Inland Revenue or Social Security, but once you have persuaded some naïve person to part with all their personal…
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‘The saga of Auldwick with Cowperthwaite village hall’ by Jim Webster
Those of you who are not already Followers of the prodigiously talented and sublimely witty Jim Webster, do yourself a favour and follow his current saga. https://jandbvwebster.wordpress.com/2020/01/20/the-saga-of-auldwick-with-cowperthwaite-village-hall-part-1-sheep-will-safely-graze/
This Old Man
I'm turning over today's Occasional Ravings to this beautiful piece by Roger Angell of The New Yorker magazine, written when he was 94, and he's still working at 99. I'm nowhere near his age (and unlikely to ever be) but it still rings true, especially the arrival of invisibility. https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2014/02/17/old-man-3
