Monthly Archives: January 2006

Blow jobs: the conclusion

UPDATE: we can all argue this with even greater authority now that the article has appeared online David Weman said in comments that he was sure the article was silly because Matt Yglesias had said so. Here is actual conclusion … Continue reading

Posted in Journalism | 14 Comments

Sic transit, without recycling

Here is a well told story that is greatly to the credit of Country Joe MacDonald, a man I would admire even if he didn’t name his band after such interesting creatures. Continue reading

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Blow jobs and doom

There is an extraordinary and very thought-provoking piece in1 the Atlantic magazine this month about the sexual habits of American teenage girls. It seems to be widely reported, and may even be true, that they offer blowjobs as we used … Continue reading Continue reading

Posted in Journalism | 9 Comments

Teasing Nick Cohen

I didn’t get any reply to my offer of a drink with Nick, perhaps because I teased him about being wrong about the war – nobly wrong, perhaps, wrong from admirable motives – but still completely and utterly shit-faced wrong … Continue reading Continue reading

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The size of what?

A review in the FT Magazine of Edward Castronova’s Synthetic Worlds, a book on online gaming, asks “when will synthetic worlds become economies worth reckoning with? They are already real, and are the fastest growing economies in the world. But … Continue reading Continue reading

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Strictly for smartarses

The FWB has just sent me a bumper sticker, arising from her latin homework Sic hoc adfixum in obice legere potes, et liberaliter educatus et nimis propinquus ades Continue reading

Posted in Literature | 3 Comments

More soho memories

In 1980, Jeffrey Bernard had been a hopeless alcoholic for fifteen years but he had only turned professional seven years before, when he started a weekly column on his life in the Spectator. The magazine had hired him as television … Continue reading Continue reading

Posted in Journalism | 1 Comment

Flotsam on the coast of Bohemia

If I had not drunk with her on occasion I would not have believed this obit of Sandy Fawkes could be truthful, but the Coach and Horses really was like that. Only the Telegraph can do this sort of obituary … Continue reading Continue reading

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Shorter Nick Cohen

I’ve been exchanging emails with my old chum, who laboured by my side for years to keep upright the bar of the Angel in Old Street; he tells me I’m writing a book on what’s happened to the Left provisionally … Continue reading Continue reading

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Comprehensive education

The scene: a class of fifteen year olds being taught "personal and social development", in a largely middle class comprehensive school. The teacher presents them with an ethical dilemma, from her pack of materials. Teacher: Annie is pregnant Children: Whoo! … Continue reading Continue reading

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