Category Archives: Literature

Truly wealthy people

“There are two kinds of wealthy people: those who count their money and those who weigh it. If you don’t belong to the latter category, you don’t really know what power is. I learned that from the narco-traffickers.” Source Roberto … Continue reading

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Biblical Studies

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Jeeves and Wooster: A great opening paragraph

“’Morning, Jeeves,” I said. “Good morning, sir,” said Jeeves. He put the good old cup of tea softly on the table by my bed, and I took a refreshing sip. Just right, as usual. Not too hot, not too sweet, … Continue reading

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Book Review: Lee Child ~ The Enemy (2004)

After reading a few Reacher novels they begin to feel like a warm blanket. Predictable and a lovely interlude in life’s rich pageant. Reacher is a ‘righteous’ psychopath smashing people into pulp. Killing people in ever more ingenious ways. Wandering … Continue reading

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Pedants unite!

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Book Review: Douglas Adams ~ The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy (1979)

For a comedic SciFi novel to become a best-seller is unprecedented. Douglas Adams was very, very lucky that he got decisive support from BBC Radio4. They produced 15-minute programmes, which became a cult. Adams then wrote a series of books … Continue reading

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A definition of Fascism: Donald Trump fits the bill

At the core of fascism as a movement was a contempt for limits, especially those imposed by reason-based arguments; a belief that reality could be altered by the will; and an exaltation of the violent assertion of that will as … Continue reading

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J S Mill on diversity

It is hardly possible to overrate the value…of placing human beings in contact with persons dissimilar to themselves, and with modes of thought and action unlike those with which they are familiar….Such communication has always been, and is peculiarly in … Continue reading

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Book Review: Martin Cruz Smith ~ Hotel Ukraine (2025)

Authors who create wonderful characters own a gold mine.1 Killing a ‘Golden Goose’ is very expensive. Lee Child outsourced the Reacher series to his brother. Ian Ranken’s Rebus recently was imprisoned for murder and then solved a murder and lives … Continue reading

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Why Sherlock Holmes wasn’t Scottish

“Police have arrested a 75-year-old man in connection with the death of 65-year-old dog walker who was shot dead on a countryside track….. Police Scotland had initially believed that Low’s death was non-suspicious and medically related, but a medical examination … Continue reading

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