The Truth, the Whole Truth, and Nothing But the Truth: Why the Story Matters More.

Having been a cop in a former life, I was schooled in the pursuit of the truth. There was a clean, uncompromising attraction to this quest, and I became skilled in building a prosecution case based on the ethical collection of facts. The truth is spectacular since it efficiently removes the need to lie – … Read more

Inspector Clueless does Vietnam.

All you need to know about Vietnam, from the unique perspective of the British equivalent of Inspector Clouseau, who usually turns up at the airport and says, “Where are we going?” Collecting my travel money in advance of my Southeast Asian late October adventure to a place personally epitomised by the hauntingly vibrant Paul Hardcastle … Read more

The candid Conservative and the not quite dead parrot.

The 4th of July general election heralded a true Monty Python tenet: and now for something completely different. But as a former Tory voter, member of the Conservative party, and borough councillor, I still had some unfinished business. I was exhausted – relieved, yet perplexed. Pinching an alleged descriptor from the former Home Secretary, James … Read more

Dublin diaries: the road to Damascus.

Seismic shifts in my thinking have a habit of originating from the most mundane circumstances. I guess that is the beauty of life – as opposed to the alternative – that makes being human so wonderfully confusing; from chaos a sense of clarity is often the victor. Adam’s milestone 30th birthday – my youngest child … Read more

Is this the real life or is this just fantasy: no escape from reality?

I love a good natter: from idle chit-chat through to the philosophical riddles of life. At the lower end of the communication continuum, the topic of talk rarely bewilders or bamboozles me. Similarly, gratuitous gossip – although often exciting as long as I’m not the central character – comes without cerebral strain. I prefer to … Read more

Being human: the good, the bad, and the ugly.

Humanity is beautiful, bizarre, and barbaric. Since I am human, I am allowed to make such a delightful and damning statement and I intend to comprehensively prove my assertion ─ but let me first frame the formation of this eureka moment. During a recent engaging and often chaotic conversation with a friend, I grasped a … Read more