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See my 2018 mail below for a quick comment on the relationship between Brexit and British car manufacturing.   And see news article today: “British car factories will be forced to close with the loss of thousands of jobs if the government does not renegotiate its Brexit deal immediately, car maker Stellantis warned today.  StellantisContinue reading “Kakistocracy”

“Of course, it doesn’t matter how friendly the young Plan 75 staff might be (Hayakawa wisely neglects to show us any of higher-level government functions), or how personalized the onboarding process is to each volunteer (so long as it doesn’t take too long). The minute Plan 75 was signed into law, it put an unbearableContinue reading “The New Death Culture”

The plantation of Ulster was incomplete by design. Divide and conquer. We’re all mere pawns in a bigger game, folks; living out pre-determined mindsets. Britain could (one imagines without too much difficulty) simply have ethnically cleansed the entirety of Ulster of its existing inhabitants and sent many more of my lot to Connacht. Instead, BritainContinue reading “Ireland was Britain’s imperial laboratory”

I’ve written before about ’70s/’80s punkabilly band The Cramps. I always loved their sound, and their attitude. I like them so much, and the post-war US cultural ideal that they represent, that I keep a Cramps sticker on my car: But The Cramps would give a modern-day wokester Puritan cultural nightmares. Look at some ofContinue reading “The Cramps”

I always liked the Birthday Party: And so I bought Nick Cave’s debut solo album in Spring 1984, and, with all my few bits of vinyl, it’s still a treasured possession (Einstürzende Neubauten*‘s Blixa Bargeld (whom Cave met when living in a squat in Berlin) looking suitably wasted too): [*Another fav band. My favourite EinstürzendeContinue reading “From Drugs to God”

Democracies should not tolerate non-voters. Spoil your vote, if you wish – but show up. As they do in Australia, anyone who fails to vote should be fined – ideally at source, in PAYE or benefits.  Nor should democracies tolerate incomplete voting registers. In Britain, Brexit continues to underwhelm. As you’d expect. It never hadContinue reading “Brexit was electorally inquorate”

“I’m allergic to wild parties, rarely ever touch alcohol anymore, and I’m untrusting of people who email with deadlines and “gentle reminders”.” See article. Fair play to her. The irony of course is that she may have stayed at her demanding job had she not also been forced to endure the “rewards” of her job,Continue reading “Dante’s 9th Circle – Work Parties”

Donald “Traitor” Trump has 2 big policy goals: 1. Give Ukraine to Putin; and2. Withdraw from NATO. He’s just said so. You don’t need to be especially adept at reading between lines. Never was the need for a united European army more obvious – the idea that Russia and China will leave us alone andContinue reading “Trump’s 2024 Manifesto”

Very few songs manage to be simultaneously silly and worth listening to.  In the niche category of “silly, but good”, here are some long-time fav oddities. Just noticed how many of them are from the 196os / 70s. That figures. Not much silliness in popular culture nowadays. Here we go: —————————————————————————————————— Nervous Norvus‘ The FangContinue reading “Silly, but good”

British government ministers are taking environmental advice from a business leader whose company was fined millions for pumping sewage into British waters. These scoundrels exist in all countries. Invariably, these are the type of people who wave national flags in a performative manner, and accuse their political opponents of “lacking patriotism”. I merely offer aContinue reading “Pumping patriotism”