The 1970s was the decade we all like to forget. Amongst many dubious inventions, I have had reason to recall recently the TV series called Fantasy Island. The owner charged wealthy individuals $50,000 each to come to the island and live out their fantasies. Pretty well all the fantasies were unlikely. I suppose that is… Read More: Fantasy island »
Sir Humphrey: Now go in there and inform me of their conversation. Bernard Woolley: I’m not sure I can do that, Sir Humphrey. It might be confidential. Sir Humphrey: Bernard, the matter at issue is the defence of the realm and the stability of the government. Bernard Woolley: But you only need to know things… Read More: The need to know »
What a few months it has been! I am not talking about erupting volcanoes and disrupted airline schedules, the General Election (although I see from Twitter that “Doing a Rochdale” is likely to rank highly in the litany of public gaffes alongside President Ford’s “there is no Soviet domination of Eastern Europe” and Gerald Ratner’s… Read More: The name and shame blame game »
According to research carried out by me wholly unscientifically, I discovered that “to win the battle and lose the war” appears in a treatise entitled “The Art of War” written by military strategist Sun-Tzu in the 6th century BC. Sun-Tzu may not have been a real figure but his existence is given credibility by the… Read More: Winning the battle and losing the war »
Bing Crosby* singing a song from the Great Depression seems a long way from where we are now in 2010, but to borrow a phrase, buddy can you spare £80 billion? I know that at election time, we, the voters, are supposed to ask the difficult questions and receive the collective wisdom of our political… Read More: Brother can you spare a dime? »
It has been quite a week! I have been away from the office for my daughter’s wedding and have been bemused by the news reaching me in the wilds of Norfolk. Scientists at the National Academy of Perverse Political Information (NAPPI for short) have been bewildered by the eruption of a yellow cloud of hot… Read More: Pyroclastic flow »
It may be this continuing chill frosting up my antennae but I have been a little late and somewhat inaccurate with my April Fool detection this year.. The origin of All Fool’s Day goes back to the late 16th century and the introduction of the Gregorian calendar in France under the reign of Charles 1X. I… Read More: April Fowl »
In the run up to the General Election, there has been a dramatic increase in the amount of policy initiatives aimed at various sections of the electorate. Not altogether surprising when you think that we are approaching the time when, once in each five year period, the people we elect to govern us have to… Read More: The General Election, nuclear explosions, the Locrians and the value… »
I very much doubt that Ben Elton would find the contents of last week’s meeting of the Commercial Litigation Forum to be suitable material for an episode of Blackadder! My brief report on the subjects raised was in my post last week entitled “Litigating in the 21st Century“. Many of you will be familiar with… Read More: A cunning plan »
Hunca Munca and Tom Thumb were two bad mice. Beatrix Potter conceived the story of how they both created mayhem in the dolls’ house belonging to Lucinda and Jane, while the dolls were out in their pram. When the little girl who owns the dolls’ house discovers the mess, she gets a doll dressed up… Read More: Of mice and men »