alaric 
I often find myself speaking enthusiastically about Open Democracy to someone online or in person, only to discover that their attention seems to be focused on a little fleck of foam on my lip. At least, it seems as if that is the case. So I am faced with an uphill battle to first prove … Read more
I have been watching the developments of the Pirate Party internationally with interest, and I hope that the movement can build up some steam over here. I think the Pirates biggest challenge is presenting themselves as more than a niche party – even the name ‘Pirate Party’ although it is refreshing and catchy, could become … Read more
Reading an article in the Economist, about more work done on the fermi paradox (that the galaxy should be teeming with civilisations so why isn’t it), and i got musing again about interstellar travel. If we view the galaxy as being innately fertile, as i do, then the flowering of intelligence would be as necessary … Read more
it’s taken me a few days to get to the point where i feel i can get all this down. you know i used to often think ‘nobody knows what’s going on’. it’s a conceited idea, i admit, but i do still believe it, in a way. i suppose what has changed since then is … Read more
I came across this sweet little southern gem, designated X-TrA last night when fooling around in the vicinity. Held my son, Rowan, up to the eyepiece to have a look too. It’s 1500 light years away but the perfect clear dark sky and very high elevation brought it closer to us last night. Nearly the … Read more
My latest collection, Poison Bomb is out in an e-book on Amazon for 99p. These poems were all written during a creative spurt that I’ve been experiencing since August. Feels a bit like it could be tapering off now so I’ve snapped them into this little collection. There is a continuity to these poems, exploring … Read more