Monthly Archives: February 2014
COMING ATTRACTION – DARLENE V. LALA
Even the Today programme (Radio 4, 25.2.14) has now trailed the launch of the much-praised new music documentary 20 Feet From Stardom, about backing singers, so I had better post my notes, although I haven’t actually seen it yet. … Continue reading
READING FOR KIDS – ON PUNS, BOLLOCKS ABOUT COSSACKS AND OUTER SPACE
It occurs to me that if I was trying to teach, or if I had a publisher who took me to lunch, I might propose that there could be an interesting language lesson to deliver on the subject of puns, … Continue reading
what the smoke signals say
FLOATING VOTER’S NOTES Politicians are naturally tempted to ban smoking in cars with kids. But that is partly because on issues like smoking, most of them have no idea what they do to the depths of the electorate. To the … Continue reading
D for DOGS
DOG BEHAVIOUR Must check back some time on Deborah Orr’s defence of dogs in the Guardian of 22.2.14, following the killing by dogs of two babies in one week. She had 960 comments when I looked a day later …. … Continue reading
SKIFFLE: COOLER THAN WE REMEMBER
For print, this piece would have all the hyperlinks shortened, but that’s a time-consuming business and I’m letting it slide a bit until somebody shows some interest … Haven’t had so much good ol’ 1950s fun since Carl Perkins … Continue reading
MOTOR SCRAPPING
MOTORING: SCRAPPING Patrick Collinson, Gdn Money 15.2.14, gives some advice on getting rid of a banger. Worth checking back for readers’ comments at … He was trying to sell a dead 13-year-old Alfa estate, in need of an MoT. Autotrader … Continue reading
READING FOR BOYS: WW1, HISTORY OF WAR, MUD LONGINGS, MOUSE STUFFING
READING FOR BOYS One of my maybe-someday projects is a collection of clippings which might interest lads learning to read. I once did a bit of teaching with some and was struck by the shortage of suitable material. If I … Continue reading
DUCT TAPE & DUCK TAPE
For some reason, I know I will need to find again, some day, the following letter to the Telegraph of 26.6.04 from Will Howard of Auckland, New Zealand. Sir – M J Carr is not really wrong in calling duct … Continue reading
YEAH TO YEAH YEAH YEAH
There is a great pleasure in reading the history of your own times, especially when it is good enough to remind you what you missed. And Bob Stanley offers great pleasure for almost everybody in Yeah Yeah Yeah: The Story … Continue reading
hack4hire 