Observations on the world and its inhabitants
The NHS does not simply experience isolated organisational failures. When patterns recur across trusts, regions and decades, failure ceases to be an incident and becomes a structural feature of the system itself. Reviews, inquiries and investigations have become the NHS’s primary mechanism of self‑reflection. Yet these rituals rarely alter the underlying dynamics that created the ...
Satire is one of Britain’s most durable cultural exports. Long before stand-up comedy, television sketch shows, or political podcasts, British writers and performers were using wit to dismantle the powerful, expose hypocrisy, and make the unbearable bearable. This guide explores the traditions, targets, and tones of satire across all four nations of the United Kingdom ...
This collection of dialogues presents a vivid contrast between traditional Jamaican parenting and more conventional English attitudes. While English parenting often emphasises negotiation, emotional validation, and privacy, Jamaican parenting—especially as portrayed in these vignettes—leans into directness, discipline, and a strong sense of household hierarchy. The scenes below offer a satirical yet insightful glimpse into the ...
Alright, gather ’round, folks, and let me tell you a tale of culinary peril, a rogue piece of cabbage, and the baffling human instinct to offer water when someone’s clearly drowning… on land. It all started innocently enough. I was minding my own business, enjoying a perfectly average meal, when BAM! A tiny, yet incredibly ...
I have written about patterns many times before. Recently – as I’m located well north in the UK – I’ve been observing patterns in cultures that vary from ‘the South’. A few days ago, some ‘folk’ asked me about what’s different. People broke out in laughter when I said, “Well, the prominent thing I noticed ...
The internet has revolutionised the way we communicate, access information, and form communities. However, this technological advancement has also brought about unintended consequences. Over the past decade, there has been a growing concern about the rise of online tribalism, political correctness, cancel culture, and the suppression of dissenting voices. These phenomena, while seemingly disparate, are ...
This article is not designed to be a book review. I have not read the whole book as yet: “The Manipulated Man” by Esther Vilar. Of course, you never heard of her. Who cares! To learn less do not read Wikipedia. I have read several parts of the book and will complete it soon. This ...
This post and the embedded video is for mature audiences only! Tough – it offends any so-called adult. No one has a right to be not offended, except where there is a specific breach of law. Freedom of expression (a human right) means that on occasion somebody will feel offended. And whilst Freedom of expression ...
Well, I do spend time on forums as some know to wrestle with parts of human nature that some totally avoid. Today I am led to infer that the reading ability of doctors in some significant proportion could be stuck at around UK year 9, based on the captioned encounter below. This post is not ...
Of some annoyance to me is the different spellings of the same words between the UK and the USA. I’m in the UK and culturally I prefer UK spellings. But it is not that simple. Microsoft Word that is ‘made’ in the USA seems to ‘think’ that it is fine if I spell prioritise as ...
I’ve long said that cultures and traditions rules minds. Of course, I’ve been gathering evidence in various domains over the years. The towels and linen situation has been most intriguing. Not many people seem to know about this. How? Nobody in the last 33 years has volunteered similar observations. What is it? A picture is ...
In this post I will focus on why I do not speak German – and most in the West continues to speak English. It is about history – and tough if you have have a dog to bathe, plants to water and Instagram to check on. Did I say you have to read this now? ...
I did not know about Magdalene Laundries until a few minutes ago. Hat’s off to you, who knew all about it. Look, there is so much that went on in history that I don’t know about and will never know about. I do not require tips on what’s a good read on this historical matter. ...
People use the word ‘mindset‘ fairly often. But what does it mean? Many will now reach for their dictionaries and Google. When I think about how others refer to mindset, I get the impression that they mean the person’s mind is set in a certain way. I think that’s partially true. People use mindset often ...
This weekend I was busy completing a course on creativity in problem solving. I completed it. It was meant to take only about 4 weeks but it took me 6 months. There was no limit of time. In any case I read and think deeply about 90-odd percent of the materials and links they provide. ...
For those who don’t like Sci-Fi, kindly move on NOW! I’m not giving time to grumbles. I began looking at older Sci-Fi films recently, as I’m fed up with modern Sci-Fi and other films that just lack an interesting story line. Passengers was one exception. The Matrix was a blockbuster movie that came out in ...
This is scene killer for Star Trek Enterprise Season 2, Episode 14. You have been warned. Summary There are two main themes running through the film. First theme T’pol – the Vulcan science officer on Enterprise is discovered to be suffering from a slow-burn dementia that eventually turns to madness, as the result of a ...
What a week! ‘Everybody’ likes to think that they would treat others as they would themselves. Normally, that includes kindness and sensitivity etc. However, my observations over they years is that this does not happen ‘all the time’. I haven’t done a statistical survey of it nor do I intend to do one. For some ...
I’m not one for wishing people “Merry Xmas” and “Happy New Year” etc. I need no lecture from anyone on how to be kind, civil, mannerly, respectful of others, and how to keep up appearances. The changes in the last few years about sending cards and wishing others ‘this’ and ‘that’, have come after much ...
One or more of the following videos (below) is expected to a 90% probability, to disappear within the next 3 months from Youtube. Just to be clear – that means there is a 10% probability that they will remain. Did I make a prediction? I did NOT! I made a statement estimating probability! Jeeez. And ...
I’ve written before on ‘patterns‘. As I go on I discover more how serious patterns are in our lives. There are of course good patterns and bad patterns. Patterns are not simply what people refer too as ‘habits’. Habits though having patterns of their own, reside within the a deeper concept of patterns (as conceptualised ...
The more I look at and think about so-called ‘social media’ the more I come to some very different perspectives (in general – meaning exceptions excepted as you might expect). 1. Social media is more about prying on what other people are doing. 2. People comparing themselves with other people. 3. Living in separate worlds ...
As on a lot of occasions I come to blog something, it’s been at the back of my mind for some time and then it certainly hits me. Yuh know, like it’s some kind of build up inside. Calm down – does it have to be anger? Does ‘build up’ necessarily mean some sort of ...
I often hear things of that nature from people e.g. “I’m not a computer person”, or “I’m not a driven by money sort of person”, or “I’m not a Nigela Lawson fan”, or “I’m not a Paxman person”, or “I’m not a Russell Brand person” or “I don’t like Tory philosophy whatever that is.” The ...
Minor and strange encounters with the humans often fascinate me. I’m amused or even bewildered by their thinking and responses. Today another minor encounter, put me to think. I’m walking along on a pavement, on the side of a street (just to be clear), in my home town. A man has just got out of ...
Right – why the devil would I want to write on or refer to ‘paint thinners’, on a sunny Sunday morning in my patch of the UK?!! Have I not anything better to do? Of course not! I decide as usual what’s better or best for me to do with my time, as always. Well, ...
I’ve been receiving unsolicited promotional emails again. I mean I tick the relevant box when I deal with companies – checking carefully that by doing so I do not opt in for such emails. But it’s clear to me now that they take no notice. They insist on sending me their junk. Yes – I ...
I have a recorded conversation with Kwik-fit head office, confirming that I am at liberty to publicise their policy of fitting of tyres brought by customers (not purchased at their outlets). Of course I intend to make comment about it – and you can imagine that I’m going to say that their policy is stupid. ...
What is attitude? Where and how does it arise? What is it’s power? Does it have power? What is power? A power is anything that has influence over our being. So I have the power to direct myself to type this, therefore I am in power at this point. If the door bell rings then ...
Why should this TED video annoy me? I have no problem with the content of what is said per se. So what could be the problem? It’s this syndrome that the humans are developing where: 1. Some big-fish researcher with fancy machines investigates some fascinating thing – and comes up with some answers. 2. Then ...
The £15 Anthropic Fuel Plan: complete with digital range anxiety
Captain Walker