Holidaying in Maine a few years ago, I popped into a Smith and Wesson Outlet shop, just for fun. I found myself in the company of a friendly, but definitely anxious customer who, noting my reticence, insisted I take a close look at the display cases. He needed a handgun and he needed Continue reading
I started writing this under the title, ‘An anthropomorphism too far’ and was going to say that the Animals in War Memorial is silly because the beasts won’t get it. But I’ve come round to it. I don’t think this does project human values onto other animals; they’re in war not at war Continue reading
There’s no such thing as a merger; there are only take-overs. And so it is with Top of the Pops, which is not just moving to BBC2 Sundays, but merging with Top of the Pops 2. Chances are TOTP will link up somehow with the fading Radio 1 Chartshow and so remain the Continue reading
A US judge has caused grave offence by writing his judgement as a George Harrison pastiche, including the classic lines ‘If this case I were to keep / Defendant would gently weep’. I have a very low musical tolerance level (although I do have a soft spot for Dennis Potter and am almost Continue reading
No sooner had I asked if neo-conservatism might crash with the dollar, than Morgan Stanley’s chief economist predicts armageddon (I think he means apocalypse), his opposite number at First Securities offers some ‘home truths’. And in the real world Russia quietly exchanges dollars for euro. The word everyone – apart from Morgan Stanley Continue reading
