A Poem to Lenin
Phil Edwards of ‘Existing Actually’ has resurrected a striking poem from his younger days, ‘Our Infant’, addressed to Lenin and meditating on Lenin’s ‘infantile disorder’ [More >>>]
Brian Barder's website and blog Brian Barder's website and ephems
What Ruth Kelly didn’t say
Ruth Kelly might have won more respect and saved herself much unnecessary (and objectionable) work if she had been prepared to defend a fair and defensible system against ignorant and hysterical attack [More >>>]
Odi et amo: Brokeback 2, Kong 9
Brokeback Mountain is beautiful and moving and I hated it. King Kong is marvellous [More >>>]
Is Simon Hoggart sparkling in error?
“Lord Crickhowell also made a coruscating attack” – or did he? [More >>>]
Our Man at the Vatican
The latest appointment of the British ambassador to the Holy See breaks with tradition in two significant ways, and has aroused strong objections in the Vatican [More >>>]
Ruth Kelly and the plague of pervs
The hysterical witch-hunt over rabid child abusers being cleared in their thousands by the Education Secretary to infest our schools (according to the media) should be treated with scepticism [More >>>]
Don’t knock Match Point
Woody Allen’s new film, shot in London, is much better than some of the reviewers have been suggesting, and well worth a visit [More >>>]
Torture and the diplomat, part 2: a closing exchange
Craig Murray, former UK ambassador to Uzbekistan, commented courteously and informatively on my Ephems entry about his position on the use of torture-tainted information and his action in publishing classified documents. Here is my response to his comment [More >>>]
Torture and the diplomat’s role
Craig Murray’s campaign against the use or even acceptance of information suspected to have been got by torture, not only as evidence in court, but even for further investigation by the security service, is worthy but unsustainable [More >>>]