Author Archives: odeboyz

A Soldiers Tale

My lovely old Grand-dad was all the more lovely – when after a few Guinness’ he would get nostalgic and regale us with some of the lighter moments he spent in the army. He joined the army as a boy … Continue reading →

Posted in Autobiography, War | Tagged , , , , , | 2 Comments

Expectations

Sometimes I think I expect too much. I expect children to offer seats on buses, And I expect ‘Thank you’ letters for presents And I expect friends to phone for a chat And I expect neighbours to say, ‘Hello’ as … Continue reading →

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Toxic English Snobbery: 1950s Cricket

“Worcester and England leg- spinner Roly Jenkins [had] a flippant attitude towards the amateur*…. had produced a well-written piece on spin bowling. Walter Robbins, a class- conscious autocrat who found it inconceivable that a mere professional could be so erudite, … Continue reading →

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Disruptive Technology and the Fourth Industrial Revolution

An ultra- modern householder in 1914 probably purchased recently invented gadgets powered by electricity like toasters, vacuum cleaners, ovens and telephones. These, and subsequent, inventions are the disruptive technology of our era. For example by 1954, 1.75 million domestic servant … Continue reading →

Posted in Economics, History, Technology | Tagged , , , , , | 3 Comments

Availability Bias

Jim thinks that petrol is expensive because he doesn’t get a weekly depreciation/insurance/maintenance bill for his car. (Chris)

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The Sweetest Music

Ethel Lillian Voynich’s book, The Gadfly, Centred on the brooding revolution, Where the oppressed in Russia Knew only inequity. Religion, Rebellion Revolution, contagious Swept from Russia into China In time the story was filmed. Dmitry Shostakovich composed The Opus 97, … Continue reading →

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Stanton and Staveley.

Not a name that jumps out at you but in the sixties I was a snotty nosed plumbers apprentice sent to work on a building site at “The Barbican” in the centre of London. Apparently  Haden’s (the company I was … Continue reading →

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Immortal: Family Life

Horror! Immortal in a mortal world Immune to ageing and living with Wives and children, decaying, growing old And their father and husband? Ah! And our grand- children grow old Grow old too fast for me. They are repulsed. My … Continue reading →

Posted in Poetry | Tagged , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Malapropism: a victim speaks

After a brutal attack Jim was asked if he would report it to the police. He replied, “Nah the police wouldn’t be interested. To them it’s just one more sadistic.” (Del)

Posted in Humour | Tagged , , , | 1 Comment

Was Osama bin Laden Assassinated*?

The question, ‘Was Osama bin Laden Assassinated?’ is crucially important. If he wasn’t then he was murdered. That would leave President Obama and Hillary Clinton as co- conspirators to murder. Additionally the US Navy Seals who committed the act would … Continue reading →

Posted in History, Politics, Religion, War | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments