Doc Paperback

First gritter of the winter.

We are a contradictory admixture of the rational and the irrational. Which is why, I guess we react emotionally to Bach; his music depends on the sum of its parts, but is far beyond the sum of its parts. I don't worry too much - as a phenomenologist I find the wonder of the experience.

YouTube video by Zvonko Slisuric Les Swingers Singers J S Bach Fugue in D Major 1969

And if I wanted to understand how a Bach fugue 'worked', I could watch Les Swingle Singers vocalise one.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=sN3V...

YouTube video by 2ndviolinist Reinhardt, Grappelli, Eddie South - Bach Double - Longer Version

I rather think that Bach would have been fascinated to hear transcriptions and interpretations. When I was a kid - lo these six decades - I had an EP record of the Hot Club de Paris jazzing the double violin concerto. I loved it. I don't know why.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=_TRj...

YouTube video by Robert Hill plays early keyboard music J S Bach: Well-Tempered Clavier Book One: Prelude in C Major BWV 846 Robert Hill, harpsichord

Whenever I lose faith in humanity (almost every day, given the state of the world) I turn to something that is, at the same time, supremely logical and deeply moving. It gives me the strength to carry on, and to hell with all the oligarchs and right-wing thugs.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=aeng...

Loving the Telecaster!

Today is International Day for Tolerance.

That's the post.

MPs and BBC staff call for Robbie Gibb to leave broadcaster’s board Boris Johnson’s appointee is accused of pushing claims of institutional bias at the corporation after shock resignations

Sack Robbie Gibb.

That's the post.

www.theguardian.com/media/2025/n...

Somebody needs to cancel Farage's question time season ticket.

BBC Newsnight mock-up of Jeremy Corbyn as a Bolshevik revolutionary, in the style of a Soviet propaganda poster.

Let's stop pretending that the billionaire media, endlessly attacking the BBC, has the slightest interest in balance, impartiality and accuracy. They won't be happy until the BBC is more rightwing than Vlad the Impaler. And then it still won't be enough.

And no, it's NOT all about a stupid edit of a Trump speech.

Utter bloody gaslighting and a right-wing coup at the BBC!
For one thing, the accusation of bias in favour of LGBTQ+ is LUDICROUS! 'Gender-Critical' mouthpieces seem to have free access and you hardly EVER see a trans person or an ally. Now it can only get worse.

The wonderful @bjennings90.bsky.social 's take on the gaslighting of the BBC by an organised right-wing campaign. [Yes that's David Attenborough - this is a really clever cartoon.]]

I hope you will expand on this. I've sat & mulled it over for much longer than I usually spend on any social media post.
I know three people named Elizabeth, & to me they are distinct, not conflated.
Sorry, my first impulse is always to go the phenomenological route & reference my own experience.

You're the country of Sacco and Vanzetti. Never forget the possible.

It is indeed.

YouTube video by Movieclips The Stuff That Dreams Are Made Of - The Maltese Falcon (10/10) Movie CLIP (1941) HD

The Maltese Falcon is my favourite noir by far.
It's claustrophobic. It uses Hammett's dialogue and only cuts one character from the book (fat man's daughter). Final line - "Huh?" And that scene with the bars of the elevator gate shutting on Mary Astor - Perfect!
www.youtube.com/watch?v=1kk3...

YouTube video by VintageBritishComedy Harry Lauder - Just A Wee Deoch & Doris (1912)

Up until this point I had the Barron Knights' 'Get Down Shep' as an earworm. Now...
www.youtube.com/watch?v=jRjy...

Apparently the case had to be crammed in between two more pressing hearings.

Apparently the case had to be crammed in between two more pressing hearings.

Well I may be wrong, but I think the Romans were around a little before that.

Hold on... hold on... if black's concentration is on what's going on down there, the white queen can secure mate!

What am I missing?????

I told you I'm no good at this game!

I'm no good at chess, haven't played for decades, but
You tempt black to take the pawn.
If pawn takes pawn, the rooks face each other, no advantage.
if b-bishop takes w-pawn, w-pawn takes b-bishop; b-queen can then take w-pawn but is instantly vulnerable to w-knight.
No idea where it goes from here.

YouTube video by The Barron Knights - Topic Get Down Shep

Thank you for today's earworm.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=myXr...

Is the River Lark navigable?

People are choosing real alternatives instead of continuity skywriter.blue/pages/did:pl...

Me: This seems a familiar concept.

I would have thought the answer was obvious.

Did you know that the Normans called Shropshire 'Salop' because it was a bitch to pronounce?

No idea. But I did once know someone from Ely who had a motorbike with overhead Cambs.