Carpenters use plane and saw to shape wood and not-wood to requirement. Photographers use shutter, aperture and studio kit or off-camera flash to shape light and not-light. Which is why two painters hold special significance for shutterbugs. Rembrandt was four when Caravaggio … Read More »
Yesterday our resident teen asked us to guess top trend on Twitter. We got it: # je suis charlie hebdo. Fourth was # kill all muslims Just park that a moment. I’ll come back to it. Later, on Newsnight, we saw … Read More »
There’s no getting round it: life throws up tough conundrums. Why am I blessed with nipples? Is Jimi’ s All Along the Watch Tower, or Bruce’ s Chimes of Freedom, the best ever Dylan cover? When I drop a hundred slices of toast on … Read More »
Bosom buddy Pete has lived forty years in Barcelona but in all my many visits I’ve never been able to to make decent pictures of the place. I’m pretty clueless at photographing architecture but will keep at it so watch … Read More »
A friend questions my broad-brush style. He has both a history degree and a point. A cornerstone of critical thinking is that the more counter-intuitive a claim, the more evidence it needs. My recent posts run counter to dominant narratives … Read More »
Recap from part 1: Ankara is unwilling to move against ISIS because (a) that would aid Kurdish Peshmerga linked to a PKK it sees as terrorist; (b) in a bid for regional supremacy Erdogan turned on the man he used … Read More »
Isis looks set to overrun Kurdish resistance at Kobani. Not because these fanatics are invincible but because, as ever in the Middle East, a grim realpolitik prevails in the stakeholder capitals. Let’s set aside – we don’t have all day! … Read More »
Had another of those calls yesterday: Hello sir. My name is Charles and I am calling from the Technical Department of Windows. Charles has an Indian accent. WindowsTechnical Department is employer of choice for his ilk. I know this from the four … Read More »
For those who remember the seventies period piece, When the Boat Comes In, BBC 2’s Peaky Blinders – series two starting on Thursday – will have a familiar ring. Both are set in the turbulent aftermath of WW1. Both give … Read More »
Even for New Labour, Ed Balls was dismal yesterday. “Please like us, City. Please don’t duff us up too much, Mr Murdoch. We’ll act responsibly, we promise! We’ll start by cutting child benefits.” In one of many conversations following my referendum … Read More »