July 18th, 2010
It’s not often I get overtly political in this blog, but perhaps it’s time to try something a bit different. What I’m going to do is sketch out a rough-and-ready policy idea. It’s not terribly well-considered or in-depth, but that’s not the aim: I’m not a political expert, much less a policy wonk.
This blog piece is simply a starting point for a debate. It doesn’t even necessarily reflect my own views. So, have a read, and use the Comments section to leave your thoughts. (Comments are moderated, and anything abusive towards me or any other commenter will be rejected straight away. Other comments are approved or rejected entirely at my discretion, but I’ll try not to be too censorious.) Read the rest of this entry »
Tags: pay differential, policy, tax
Posted in Politics | 2 Comments »
May 16th, 2010
Well, it seems that the best way I can share my opinions on this is to reproduce the email I’ve just sent to the BBC.
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Tags: 6 music, bbc, radio
Posted in Music & Entertainment, News & Media | Comments Off
April 18th, 2010
With the General Election campaign in full swing, I decided that I ought to read the parties’ manifestos. And I’ve got to be honest with you: they’re pretty heavy-going.
Read the rest of this entry »
Tags: 2010, conservative, election, general election, labour, lib dem, liberal democrat, manifesto, Politics, word cloud
Posted in Politics | 1 Comment »
February 3rd, 2010
Well, the poem I unleashed upon you last night received a few plaudits on Twitter. Well, two, to be precise. But that’s enough to persuade me to publish another of my linguistic efforts; so here goes. Read the rest of this entry »
Tags: 2004, 2008, love, poem, poetry, writing
Posted in Literature and Poetry | Comments Off
February 2nd, 2010
I’ve got a confession to make. I occasionally write poetry. I mean, very occasionally. And not to a particularly high standard. But there’s something therapeutic about the process nonetheless.
I rarely share my poems with anyone. But here’s something I knocked together back in 2004. Let me know what you think, by tweeting me: I’m @martgro. Read the rest of this entry »
Tags: 2004, attraction, blog, love, poem, writing
Posted in Literature and Poetry | Comments Off
December 31st, 2009
For when the One Great Scorer comes to mark against your name,
He writes – not that you won or lost – but how you played the Game.
Grantland Rice’s poem Alumnus Football eloquently – if perhaps a little cloyingly – uses an extended sporting metaphor to convey a more general philosophy towards life. But in sport, that very idea espoused by Rice – that it’s the taking part that counts – is looking increasingly sepia-tinged. Read the rest of this entry »
Tags: Cricket, sport, technology, Test Match, umpiring
Posted in Cricket | Comments Off
November 4th, 2009
Men, so the received wisdom goes, are not well-suited to multi-tasking. And as a man who sometimes experiences difficulty even in single-tasking, following a hashtag on TwitterFall during a live TV or radio broadcast can prove nightmarish, to say the least.
Tonight, Radio 4′s Moral Maze was discussing Twitter, and in particular, its place in political debate. Listeners were being asked to contribute, in real time, via the hashtag #moralmaze. Read the rest of this entry »
Posted in Computing & Internet, News & Media | Comments Off
October 7th, 2009
“Lucie Jones – 11/4,” offered the sign in the window of the bookie’s shop close to the Bodega Social Club. It referred, of course, to this year’s X-Factor favourite. Read the rest of this entry »
Posted in Music & Entertainment | Comments Off