300 to 1 (billion) – what China and the Vatican have in common
I’ve spotted an interesting similarity between China’s ruling party and the Vatican. Not their policies on anything controversial – that would be too easy, and rather crude. It’s the ratio of the...
View ArticleWhat Sarah Palin has in common with Ludwig Wittgenstein
My college philosophy tutor* once told me why Wittgenstein was the most important philosopher of the 20th century. It was because he permanently changed the debate. All philosophers who came after him...
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The ever-expanding list of new countries
There have been a lot of articles about south Sudan becoming the world’s newest country, often with a slightly breathless tone as if it were as rare as a solar eclipse. But how often does this happen?...
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The many names of Gaddafi
You can hardly miss the colonel who has run Libya for the last 42 years. But how do you spell his name? Due to there being no formal way of translating his name from the Arabic, Col Gaddafi (FT...
View ArticleJohn Terry vs Chris Huhne, Fred Goodwin vs Johann Hari: why it pays to wait
I can’t help thinking about four recent falls from grace. In essence, two are about awards, the other two about pre-emptive punishment. In all cases, we could benefit from being less hasty. I’ll...
View ArticleLondon mayor race: how Boris was lucky with the missed 2nd preference
Background: Boris Johnson has been re-elected moyor of London for a second term, beating Ken Livingstone by a narrow margin. Boris Johnson is very lucky to be re-elected. Why? Because the biggest...
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Electing the leader of 1.3bn
I’ve written before about the similarity, in pure number terms, between the Catholic church and China – same number of citizens / devotees (1.3bn), similar number of rulers (boils down to around 300)....
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Britain’s voting system is delivering what the public want
Hello hung parliament: Britain is back into deals and power arrangements, after just two years of Conservative majority. Another election in 2017 is a possibility if things fall apart. The question I...
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Sport Geek #80: Trump vs Sport
Here are six thoughts on the Trump vs Sports saga. Another day, another unbelievably offensive tweet. Trump just keeps on. The question is, at what point does this go from appealing to his core, to...
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How long do Home Secretaries last?
So farewell, Amber Rudd etc. Quick quiz – how long do Home Secretaries last? The BBC notes that “During one period under Labour, there were six home secretaries in eight years.” That makes the job...
View ArticleWhat Sarah Palin has in common with Ludwig Wittgenstein
My college philosophy tutor* once told me why Wittgenstein was the most important philosopher of the 20th century. It was because he permanently changed the debate. All philosophers who came after him...
View ArticleClik here to view.
The ever-expanding list of new countries
There have been a lot of articles about south Sudan becoming the world’s newest country, often with a slightly breathless tone as if it were as rare as a solar eclipse. But how often does this happen?...
View ArticleClik here to view.
The many names of Gaddafi
You can hardly miss the colonel who has run Libya for the last 42 years. But how do you spell his name? Due to there being no formal way of translating his name from the Arabic, Col Gaddafi (FT...
View ArticleJohn Terry vs Chris Huhne, Fred Goodwin vs Johann Hari: why it pays to wait
I can’t help thinking about four recent falls from grace. In essence, two are about awards, the other two about pre-emptive punishment. In all cases, we could benefit from being less hasty. I’ll...
View ArticleLondon mayor race: how Boris was lucky with the missed 2nd preference
Background: Boris Johnson has been re-elected moyor of London for a second term, beating Ken Livingstone by a narrow margin. Boris Johnson is very lucky to be re-elected. Why? Because the biggest...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Electing the leader of 1.3bn
I’ve written before about the similarity, in pure number terms, between the Catholic church and China – same number of citizens / devotees (1.3bn), similar number of rulers (boils down to around 300)....
View ArticleClik here to view.
Britain’s voting system is delivering what the public want
Hello hung parliament: Britain is back into deals and power arrangements, after just two years of Conservative majority. Another election in 2017 is a possibility if things fall apart. The question I...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Sport Geek #80: Trump vs Sport
Here are six thoughts on the Trump vs Sports saga. Another day, another unbelievably offensive tweet. Trump just keeps on. The question is, at what point does this go from appealing to his core, to...
View ArticleClik here to view.
How long do Home Secretaries last?
So farewell, Amber Rudd etc. Quick quiz – how long do Home Secretaries last? The BBC notes that “During one period under Labour, there were six home secretaries in eight years.” That makes the job...
View ArticleClik here to view.
A visual history of Coups
Was the violent invasion of the US Capitol on 6th January this year a coup? It certainly had the hallmarks of a coup, even it it might be expedient for politicians to refer to it as insurrection....
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