May bank holidayThis weekend we observe two festivals: international workers day and the ancient celebration of Spring, fertility, and rebirth. We had a nice day out in Weston-super-Mare with our daughter's grandfather, a lovely old Bermudan gent whose body sadly... See More »
Mutual appreciationFor more than a year now I have been helping out at my daughter's after school dance club. I take the year 7s and 8s and love it because they are so enthusiastic, but well behaved and polite at the same time 😊 My 14 year old suffers my presence on... See More »
A positive story of immigrationAdnan Mikhael this week made his debut for Lancashire County Cricket Club's Second XI. The Afghan teenager arrived in the UK on the back of a lorry, having travelled across Europe on his own, and claimed asylum in Preston. Fostered by English... See More » (1)
We're in good handsI took a short break from work this morning to attend assembly at my daughter's school. She and one of her classmates were giving a presentation to the upper school on a project they have been working on as part of their health and nutrition course.... See More »
Party at my place?Our daughter has just left for a sleepover at her friend's house. Before she went she gave us very detailed instructions for looking after her guinea pigs, watering her plants, and alternative arrangements for her weekend chores. "If you have any... See More »
Our actual Easter dayJust to clear up any confusion from my previous post . . the Easter bunny did not in fact boycott our household 🐰👍 The weather was sunny and a balmy 17°C with only the merest hint of a stiff easterly wind 🥶 This did not however deter our intrepid... See More »
Practical economics - part 4Despite a few minor hiccups on Easter day, I am delighted to report that my tariff based economic strategy continues to be an unqualified success and anyone who claims otherwise is a shameless liar 😡 So first of all the Easter bunny did not turn up... See More »
Options for Easter holiday weekendWe are having all the family round for lunch on Sunday. I told my daughter that if the weather is fine and not too cold we will have a barbeque, if raining we will fall back on a traditional roast. Right now she is out in the garden cleaning up the... See More »
School holidaysA break from our normal Saturday routine yesterday, so my daughter and her younger cousin went for a bike ride . . and stayed out for over seven hours 😊 They turned up shortly before 6pm, exhausted, covered in mud, and apparently so paralysed by... See More »
Practical economics - part 3Well, that was an exciting week 🙂 Following my 154% tariff on purchases from his convenience store, Mr Patel has suspended our credit tab 😡 This is what happens when you let people with shifty eyes take over critical economic infrastructure 😡 When... See More »
Live from the New York Met: Trumpandot - a lyric drama in three actsAct 1. Princess Trumpandot of China-land has sworn an oath that no man will possess her. However, she offers her suitors a chance: if one of them can answer correctly three riddles he can marry her. If not, he must die. Prince Justin of Canada is... See More » (1)
Practical economics - part 2Our lawn needs cutting. I don't own a lawn mower, but my neighbour does. So I banged on his door this morning and demanded he hand it over to me. He looked surprised and offered to "lend" it to me for an hour. This is not acceptable 😡 I "know" he... See More »
Practical economics - part 1So I have been reviewing my list of trading partners and was shocked to discover that Mr Patel, owner of our local convenience store, has been RIPPING us off for months 😡 We are running a 100% trade deficit with Mr P, due to his UNFAIR trade... See More »
New routine for Saturdays?For the past two years and more my Saturday morning routine has consisted of taking our daughter to the gym and holding bags and watching from the sidelines while she does an hour of judo followed by two hours of gymnastics. In the early days of... See More »
Our Mothering SundayClocks went forward this morning, so the 6.45am wake-up we got from our daughter was actually 5.45am 😴 We were treated to breakfast in bed, and most of the tea stayed in the cups while it was being carried to our bedroom, an improvement on last year... See More »
Trump tackles "woke virus" at National Zoo, WashingtonSummons to the White House "gay" Emperor penguins who have been corrupting the youth of America through their woke-liberal egg incubating policies and associated picture book deals. Trump: "You do not hold the fish right now!" Vance: "You have not... See More » (1)
Trump targets "anti-American" ideology at Smithsonian museumsPresident Trump has signed an executive order targetting the Smithsonian Institution, which operates more than 20 museums and research centres in Washington DC and New York City visited annually by millions of Americans. The order directs the VP to... See More » (2)
Important noticeFor all those disappointed fans left with tickets after the sudden cancellation of the Gay Mens Chorus of Washington DC at the Kennedy Center in May. (1)
Swear box overflowing . .We operate a swear box system in our household. £1 for each infraction, all contents at the end of the month goes to the local homeless shelter. Our daughter who, like the Queen, never carries cash, pays any dues out of her £10 weekly allowance.... See More »
Elon Musk's accomplishments in fullDOGE requires all federal employees to detail their five accomplishments from the previous week or resign. Elon Musk's personal list: (1) Cancels Ebola prevention program. (2) Fires workers who oversee nuclear stockpile. (3) Reinstates Ebola... See More »
Why do conservatives dislike remote working?Flexible working has helped women progress in the workplace. Since 2019, the share of women working fulltime in the insurance and finance sectors in the UK rose from 75% to 83%. The rate for mothers in finance rose more than ten percentage points.... See More »
DOGE shutters the government’s in-house tech consultancy . . Political loyalty appears to be more important than tech skillsOver the next month or so, many Americans filing their tax returns have a new option. Instead of paying an accountant, or buying third-party software, they can log onto a government website, which will automatically input personal details of their... See More »
How Trump's threats have brought Canadian Liberals back from the deadBBC News 8 March 2025 If you had asked Canadians a few months ago who would win the country's next general election, most would have predicted a decisive victory for the Conservative Party. That outcome does not look so certain now. In the wake of... See More »