The Plashing Vole

As befits the start of a new academic year, the past couple of weeks have been full of highs and lows. Management have taken decisions so br...

My last post was titled 'Democracy - but only for your enemies', and discussed the curious fashion amongst politicians of bombing vi...

I'm watching the British media coverage of the Hong Kong democracy protests with some fascination. I'm supportive of the protesters:...

A couple of notable anniversaries today: the birthday of William Faulkner (b. 1897) and the death of Edward Said (2003). I sometimes think...

How is everyone today? Relieved that the progressive union of the UK has been saved? Or depressed that the progressive instincts of the Scot...

As I've said on this blog before, I'm not sure about Scottish independence, and many of my reasons for it are based on post-colonial...

Today's text is Scotch on the Rocks , a 1971 novel by Douglas Hurd (later Conservative MP and Foreign Secretary) and Andrew Osmond, with...

In the course of my post about seeing Kate Bush a few days ago, I made a disparaging comment about Elvis Presley (why is there no Middle-Ear...

Literally none of you have begged me for enlightenment about the Scottish Independence Referendum. In the face of this overwhelming public d...

Afternoon all. The sun's shining and I've had an unusually wonderful few days, so I thought I'd indulge in a little light gloati...

You may remember from some months ago, outrage about the way the Daily Mail   covered the appearance of two eminent scientists on Newsnight...

Apropos of nothing, here's a 1992 Steve Bell cartoon which I have long loved (click to enlarge). He drew it for the Guardian  two ...

I appear to have broken one of my friends, a colleague and a co-writer! I've been pretty quiet this week because I've been working...