Flashman in Slightly Foxed

In the Spring 2012 edition of the beautiful Slightly Foxed literary magazine I write racily about Flashman.

You should buy a copy, or better still, an annual subscription. John Gray has an article in the Spring edition too, but don't let that put you off.

Break up the Union?

Over at The Dabbler I search for the musical essences of Britain.

Monsters, Inc

On a more positive note, after that grouchy quartet of posts, I have been watching Monsters, Inc a lot lately, due to Charlotte's enthusiasm for it. It really is a masterpiece - the concept is inspired and only Airplane! packs the gags in so densely, and the hit rate is higher in Monsters.

Loads of these Pixar films put Hollywood's 'grown-up' output to shame, but I reckon Monsters is the best even of such a great bunch.

And lastly, Apple

Oh yes, and I hereby predict that much sooner than you think, all Apple products will come to be seen as irredeemably naff. Too many annoying people praise them too much.

Rowan Williams - also time to quit

And while I'm on a roll, j'accuse Dr Rowan Williams, who, with the notable exception of the Mugabe episode, will surely be remembered as the Archbish who got everything wrong. He clearly saw his role as not just managing decline but speeding it along as best he could, apologising the Church into oblivion. I'm not sure he's ever written anything that couldn't have been happily written, and much more clearly, by any atheist bien-pensant in the Independent.

Theodore Dalrymple - time to quit

Talking of misanthropic sods who've jumped the shark, I'll be happy never to read another cut-and-paste rant about the decline of the British by Theodore Dalrymple again. Yet another torrent of over-familiar bile in The Spectator the other week. Of course horrible people are horrible, but most people, contra Anthony Daniels (TD's real name) are not even remotely horrible, including many who have tattoos.

Richard Dawkins - blowing the legacy

I have poked fun at Giles Fraser on this blog for his frivolous, attention-seeking resignation over the obviously non-imminent threat of violence against the camping crusties at St Paul's, but I have to hand to him for this demolition of the increasingly silly Richard Dawkins on Radio 4's Today programme.

Dawkins could have gone down in history as a great populariser of science and an important evolutionary theorist, but with every new public announcement he increases the likelihood that he'll be remembered as an extremist clown and figure of fun. He's daily blowing his legacy.