Recent posts - DOTING

Beware trackbacks From thespos in DOTING (1568 days old)

Does anybody understand the trackback feature on our blogs? I don't. Auto-trackback is enabled by default on our blogs but you can uncheck this in your settings tab. I did so today because, over the p… more

From thespos in DOTING (1572 days old)

A 29 year-old Brazilian electrician - I bet he never expected to die on the floor of the tube in Stockwell. "He looked Pakistani" said the best eye-witness in the land (or so he seemed at the time) bu… more

Pin the tail on the donkey From thespos in DOTING (1573 days old)

Today the Met (London Metropolitan Police) apologised for the Stockwell shooting and admitted they got it wrong. Five bullets pumped into the wrong guy. Why did he run, ignore calls to stop, leap … more

More trouble in London From thespos in DOTING (1573 days old)

Last Thursday it seemed to be happening again - three tubes and the number 26 bus in Hackney, just by Bethnal Green. Nobody hurt because the bombs didn't work. One theory goes that the recent police r… more

Fruit fest From thespos in DOTING (1577 days old)

More neglect of the blog - this time I've actually been writing and not getting around to posting - how sad and chaotic is that! On the weekend we took the kids to a pick-your own fruit farm. Acting o… more

Welcoming the neighbours From thespos in DOTING (1582 days old)

I have neglected my blog as usual - not from lack of inspiration but sheer lack of a minute to myself. Between deadlines and school plays and meetings and the usual end of term/end of year chaos, I ha… more

Comments From thespos in DOTING (1585 days old)

I forgot to mention some comments I got. This from Ivona: Thank you - I am here and I am reading you. I never thought that my formation is the cause of the way I think (I lived 12 years under a com… more

Words for George and positive thoughts From thespos in DOTING (1585 days old)

With lickspittle wearing a little thin, I thought George might appreciate some new material for his dictionary of archaic idiom. I can hear sneak thievery slavering from his lips in his Glaswegian dra… more

Hello Hackney - let's make poverty history From thespos in DOTING (1586 days old)

I have a new blog buddy - Ivona - she's Romanian and living in London. We don't exactly see eye to eye on things but that's not a problem - it's nice to have a medium to explore differing opinions. Ou… more

Plea - recover the bodies please From thespos in DOTING (1587 days old)

I've tried umpteen times to get writing today but constant distractions. Major distraction at WE ARE NOT AFRAID. Daniel Rohrig was front page when I arrived but he's been buried deep in the archives -… more

7/7 and then there were seven From thespos in DOTING (1589 days old)

I turned on the TV and the news was bizarre - a power surge seemed to be knocking out tube trains all over London, huh? As time went on the power surge story sounded more and more ridiculous. When the… more

The road to 2012 From thespos in DOTING (1589 days old)

What a day it was for Tones yesterday - he's on a roll and so is England. What a coup - Olympics 2012 for London, exactly what the country needs. If you're not familiar with London you are probably vi… more

Continuing on the road to Dunstan From thespos in DOTING (1591 days old)

Yesterday I had an email from a Dunstan in Michigan, read my Dunstan musings on this blog and wondered if we were related. A bit of to and fro by email suggests that our great grandfathers were brothe… more

Live8, discovery and adventure From thespos in DOTING (1591 days old)

Not a minute to spare lately and still no job. Bits of jobs keeping hunger at bay but nothing worth writing home or here about. And then a call today - guess what - Stevenage again. If the Martians we… more

Training in England From thespos in DOTING (1597 days old)

I've been lax of late because I've been dashing around the country to interviews looking for a job. My travels have taken me to Bristol, London and Stevenage, using a full medley of train operators an… more

Stalemate for Europe From thespos in DOTING (1608 days old)

Yesterday's blog drew some comments which is great - it's lovely to know that somebody is reading my ramblings and it's great (good) to see that people are interested in discussing Europe. The comment… more

Strip Europe back From thespos in DOTING (1609 days old)

They've put the constitution on ice and have switched attention to the budget battle. 46% of the budget goes to the Common Agricultural Policy and rural development and the poor impoverished French fa… more

Beeswax and Dunstans From thespos in DOTING (1611 days old)

We're making a drainpipe didgeridoo for the Mitten's school project. Got to be in Friday so we're under pressure cos not only do you have to make it but you also have to learn to play it. They recomme… more

weekend wanders From thespos in DOTING (1613 days old)

Turned into a Jack Rabbit weekend. Back in March we planted lots of seeds, planning to grow all manner of food this summer. The poor seedlings have been dying in their trays for want of weather so a t… more

Congested minds From thespos in DOTING (1616 days old)

My buddy Ian writes about road charging - thinks we should slap asbos and ABH charges on the lot of em. He reckons the suggestion does nothing to address the cause of congestion - namely to sort out t… more

The divils in the detail From thespos in DOTING (1617 days old)

What a day - not a cloud and no meeting to go to. On the phone to Cork last night, my younger brother put me to shame by remembering much more about the Dunstans than me. My granny had a brother, Bunn… more

Groundhog day From thespos in DOTING (1618 days old)

It was groundhog day. The Mitten went off to school disgruntled cos the Brain was getting to miss Assembly again. 9.10am on another glorious fine day and we get into the cab to go to our appointment a… more

A load of potatoes From thespos in DOTING (1619 days old)

Due to a scheduling cock up on my part, I spent the first couple hours of this glorious fine day stuck in expensive cabs to attend a meeting tomorrow, hmm. I deposited the Brain (or is it Pinkie?) bac… more

Will the Pope come? From thespos in DOTING (1621 days old)

Bob Geldof has raised a right royal storm, hasn't he? Aside from the remarkable political gaffe of not headlining any african acts for Live 8, the stale, geriatric lineup could do with some african oo… more

From thespos in DOTING (1624 days old)

After the French, the Dutch kick EU butt and our fat-arsed MEPs are all up in a heap. I love everything about this result except that it pleases Robert Kilroy Silk - he's probably claiming credit for … more

Nuns in Mufti From thespos in DOTING (1624 days old)

Reading The Road to McCarthy by Pete McCarthy of McCarthy Bar fame - what a book. There aren't many writers that I'm really sorry I didn't meet - this is one of them. It's like he's taken the words ou… more

The English Condition From thespos in DOTING (1630 days old)

Read a very funny account of curry night in Wetherspoons which he describes as a microcosm of the English condition. Which led me to comment, is this condition terminal, or contagious. Is it something… more

Question time questions From thespos in DOTING (1630 days old)

Here's a good idea if I can sustain it - can I bring Questions and Answers to life on a blog? I've deleted the rest - the answer is obviously not - and why would you want to. The only meaningful c… more

From thespos in DOTING (1631 days old)

Check this out - They Work For You - what a find. Designed with me in mind - how to become a pain in the butt of every last lazy lying one of our elected representatives. They have a sister site - Wri… more

From thespos in DOTING (1631 days old)

Latest on safety - our terrorist threat level was downscaled because the threat from Ireland is reduced. Is this cos Paisley won't share power or cos the peace process is actually beginning to work?… more