Monthly Archives: February 2017

Disappointed

I could have screamed When, some years ago, An idiot tenant confessed, “Oh I’ve never voted, in any election”. Recently, that same Non-voter, had a water problem A leak, going into the flat below his Coming, from somewhere in his … Continue reading

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Jewish Poker Club

Six retired Jewish friends were playing poker in the condo clubhouse when Meyer lost $500 on a single hand. He clutched his chest and dropped dead. Showing respect for their fallen comrade, the other five continued. But they played standing … Continue reading

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Applauding Stalin: Living in a Totalitarian State

This extended quotation from Alexander Solzhenitsyn’s book Gulag Archipelago illustrates the sheer unrelenting terror that citizens in the Soviet Union lived in during the 1930s. …………………………………….. At the conclusion of the conference, a tribute to Comrade Stalin was called for. … Continue reading

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The Theology of Church Interiors

Expressing the inexpressible is impossible. But those that want to worship want to create an atmosphere where worship is enhanced. Here are three interpretations of religious atmospheres created by religious groups over the ages. A Quaker Meeting House emphasising (leaderless) … Continue reading

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Monty Python on Chartered Accountants

‘Our experts describe you as an appallingly dull fellow, unimaginative, timid, lacking in initiative, spineless, easily dominated, no sense of humour, tedious company, and irrepressibly drab and awful, and whereas in most professions, these would be considerable drawbacks, in chartered … Continue reading

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Putin regrets putting Trump into the White House

“When you choose a puppet, you’re looking for a sweet spot,” one source close to Putin said. “You want to choose someone who’s dumb enough to be manipulated, but not so dumb that he can’t find the light switches.” http://www.newyorker.com/humor/borowitz-report/putin-starting-to-wonder-if-his-puppets-are-smart-enough-to-pull-this-off?mbid=nl_021417Continue reading

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Humbled

I believe that I have been extremely silly at various times in my life, for no better reason than part devilment and showing off.  For example in around 1970, I was given a young labourer called Mark. Our first job was replacing the … Continue reading

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British neo-fascists in the House of Lords (March 1939)

The House of Lords 29th March 1939 One speaker called for the publication in English of an unabridged translation of Hitler’s Mein Kampf at a price of no more than a shilling a copy- so impressed was he by the … Continue reading

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Cold and Alone

The beginning of December To the finish of February Three months of winter Besets England each year. In the coldest weather Each exhale, mists the air As do gas fumes From gas boilers. Those lucky enough To be able to … Continue reading

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Could an objective observer have identified Nazi Germany as the ‘worst of the worst’ in the 1930s?

The horrors of the Holocaust were a pivotal turning point in international relations. Interventionists believe the Holocaust was preventable. They further believe that diplomats prevented intervention because nation-states were deemed to be sovereign in their domestic policies. Implicit in interventionist … Continue reading

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