Aniseed Balls

The word declutter  is an unnecessary chimera, formed with unsavoury etymological coarseness, but the idea it expresses has merit. I’ve started in a small way in the study, discarding items I will never need like cardboard boxes saved up for a rainy day, and even, horror of horrors, books. And, with no little trepidation, I’ve taken down my “I am normal” notice. My rational self says it wasn’t responsible for psychological equilibrium. But was it? I thought it had artistic merit; the harsh beauty of the plain brown wrapping paper, the meticulously chosen typeface representing the inherently ambiguous nature of human sanity. Could these qualities have elicited a feeling of well-being to counterbalance the inner demon? Or acted as guiding star and constant reminder to maintain the semblance of normality? Obviously I removed the little bits of Scotch tape in case they weren’t recyclable and folded the paper neatly so that it didn’t take up too much space in the green bin. So I di

Two activities I have been very involved with at different times have both in recent years been suggested as additions to the Olympic Games. With the 2016 Games upon us I have my four yearly angst over the nonsensical collection of events contested. What should the Olympics consist of? Let’s get one thing out of the way. I am not suggesting we go back to Corinthian amateurism. We are way beyond that – there are only two sports left where professionals are ineligible, and in the modern era we want to see the best competitors contesting at the highest level. So what should be included? First and foremost are events that demonstrate objective individual athletic achievement in a manifestly natural discipline: running faster, jumping further, leaping higher, throwing further. What about the specific varieties of these? Racing over 100m, 200m, 400m, 800m, 1500m etc makes sense, especially when you know that individual athletes are never the best over a wide range of these. What a