Amidst the massive and often jingoistic coverage of the Olympics has been complaints about the British National anthem. Many people object to the notion of a monarchy, and are pushing for reform of the constitution etc, but ultimately, the song God Save the Queen is a dirge. It is the national anthem for many commonwealth … Continue reading
There has always been a conflict between people who live in settled communities and those who choose or are forced into a life on the road. There are a lot of folk songs about travellers, and the character of a lone traveller is one of the most iconic images of Westerns. Travelers were often seen as criminals … Continue reading
I heard an interview last night with Bob Andy, a Jamaican musician who is one of the most charming and inteligent people I have ever listened to, and also well versed in popular music. As a side issue, his mother wsa a Drummond, but I don’t thnk we’re related. This is him duetting on ‘Pied … Continue reading
A very strange little anecdote about one of my favourite musicians, Ray Davies of the Kinks. Apparently when smeone approaches him thinking they recognise him, he confuses them by saying he is Damon Albarn. I am intigued by this, as the two both brilliant musician songwriters, but are a generation apart and realy don’t look … Continue reading
I wasn’t going to bother with the subject, but of course there is always something off beam to throw in. I was going to watch the opening ceremony. Not because I like the Olympics, but because it all sounded too strange to work, and, well, this is England. Something had to go wrong. So I … Continue reading
One of the best travel books I know is ‘Tchiffley’s Ride,’ about a trek made by – I think he was Austrian or Swiss- from Buenos Aires to Washington with two horses, about 50 years ago, not a trip you could make today with all the traffic. I recall a strange anecdote about how his … Continue reading
It’s official, well, sort of. Scientists at my old university – Monash in Melbourne Australia, seem to have discovered why women outlive men. Not just a bit, but from the moment of conception, males die faster than women so that by the time women stagger past the four score and ten they are significantly outnumbering the … Continue reading
This comes from a few days ago: Two Generals sacked after invasion of teddy bears. Well, you would have to sack them for not preventing such a terrifying event, wouldn’t you? The truth is, of course much stranger. The story is from Belarus, where a pilot from neighbouring Lituhuania evaded their air defences and dropped … Continue reading
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