((Archive picture, 33 things you only know if you’ve worked at ‘the Ministry’ for HMRC in Longbenton, ChronicleLive.)) The campus in this photograph became the main offices for a British government ministry in 1948. You could be forgiven for wondering if it was a prisoner-of-war camp, repurposed as The Ministry of Truth, The Ministry of…… Continue reading The Ministry
Category: Write
Keeping the Faith Through the Arts
During the last four years, while some in power denied basic, decent human values, the Arts have helped me keep the faith. Here’s some examples from my microblog.
12 Months of Microposts: 2020
Posted 12 Months of Microposts: 2020.
12 Months of Microposts: 2020
Most days I post something about my day in a microblog. Without over-thinking, I’ve selected one post from each month of 2020. January Looking back from today, January 2020 seems like an alternate reality where we could sit in theater audiences, eat in restaurants, and ride public transport. The Minneapolis Guthrie Theater’s artistic director, Joseph…… Continue reading 12 Months of Microposts: 2020
I’m Not a Bot
A Twitter algorithm has decided I’m a bot, so I’m being prevented from posting to my daily microblog. I’ve submitted a ticket, and expect resolution eventually. This is no big deal, I won’t be hounding Twitter to get my access back. Although I’ve been posting daily for almost a decade, I do occasionally miss a…… Continue reading I’m Not a Bot
My Air Travel Happy Path in a Time of Covid-19
Traveling by Numbers
Day 1, Minneapolis/St. Paul MSP. I needed to share my love of backpacking and walking with my two young nephews (aged 10 and 11). My partner, the two nephews, their parents, and I have been backpacking in Andalucia, Southern Spain. With a couple exceptions, we traveled using public transport and our legs. How we got…… Continue reading Traveling by Numbers
Ikigai: It Gets You out of Bed Every Morning
The [Japanese] word ‘ikigai’ is usually used to indicate the source of value in one’s life or the things that make one’s life worthwhile … . [It’s] used to refer to mental and spiritual circumstances under which individuals feel that their lives are valuable. There is a difference between ikigai and the sense of well-being.…… Continue reading Ikigai: It Gets You out of Bed Every Morning
Living in a Time of Shortages
It was the summer of 1975. I was standing in a GUM department store in Moscow, Russia, wondering why these people were standing patiently in a long line. I walked to the front of the line to see what was going on. A supply of disposable ballpoint pens had recently arrived. The people were lining…… Continue reading Living in a Time of Shortages
The Liberation of Writing for Myself
Posted The Liberation of Writing for Myself.