Category Archives: Random
Facebook and the two minutes’ hate
In George Orwell’s 1984, Big Brother enforces a regular two minutes’ hate to ensure the citizen-slaves are fully au fait with the enemy of the day. It’s a term that originated in WWI’s artillery bombardments and is now mostly evident … Continue reading
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Disco Kenny, the bin-busker and me
A few days ago a random walk took me along King Street. I noted the latest reinvention of The Bun Shop – now more upmarket, The Lazy Scholar, it seems – and gave it the traditional three months. Then towards … Continue reading
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Don’t think of an elephant
In the classic 1960s film version of HG Wells’ The Time Machine – accept no substitutes, even those starring Mike from Neighbours – there’s a famous scene showing the evolving fashions in a shop window as the traveller zips forward … Continue reading
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If it weren’t for you meddling kids
Governments love sheep. They adore compliant leggy clouds of wool flocking after them for a sniff of fresh grass. They like to funnel them through the dip for a fungicidal top-up, and wave a pair of clippers at them for … Continue reading
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Spurs are on their way to Wembley
“Do you want me to call it off?” Mum stood framed in the bathroom doorway, hands on hips, looking down at me sprawling in pain. “No! I’ll be fine!” My bladder had screamed full all the way home from school … Continue reading
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John Sullivan
Between the late seventies and the mid-eighties John Sullivan created some of the finest, most popular and acclaimed comedies on TV. The first was Citizen Smith, about a Tooting-based revolutionary: “Power to the people!” He followed that success with Only … Continue reading
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