I’ve been in Antwerp this week. One of the places I swung by was Museum aan de Stroom. I was particularly taken by this note at the entrance:

Every hero you ever wanted turns out to have candy floss bones, an optimum way of wriggling out of being worthy of worship. No one can be a visionary missionary today, not unless they’re a democratic masochist too. Protection is awesome until realising you have to leave yourself open to the shuddering the cracked timpani of attraction brings: a cloud cloud knife of an echo that sees you, claiming this sound is knowledge is love.

Michael Plimsoll-Line: Thank you Hologram Taylor Swift, more from her later. Our next guest is many things: a god, a myth, the sea. And now, also a published poet. Ladies and gentlemen, with his only broadcast interview, please welcome Neptune! Neptune washes down the stairs to a light jazz intro…

(As Pushkin was born on this day in 1799, a little something in his honour) We gather with giddy elation on Alexander Pushkin’s name day. A delicious celebration of the incomparable way he writes. A fluid harmony, rich with pleasing euphony. Sharp moral lessons drawn from kith, stories that become national myth. For me, the eponymous stanza is his most glorious moment, making tetrameter cogent as masc, femme rhymes find their Volta. An invention that’s so sublime. Wisdom, pleasure in fourteen lines.

Spend enough time on this platform, and you can come away with the view that most people think – or at least like to project – that their successes in their careers are pretty much all down to them. Which is true, to an extent. But that does, of course…

For those of you not as obsessed with baseball caps as me, it may have passed you by that it was 59FIFTY Day last week, a celebration of the iconic hat as made by New Era. Iconic is a big claim, but rare is the piece of sporting equipment that…

“We just launched a campaign in Silicon Valley just talking about our companies and what they are doing.. The campaign is called Unicorn Kingdom.” — Rishi Sunak In the Unicorn Kingdom, all the dues are due to the mons driot. In the Unicorn Kingdom, the silicon is willing but the…

Come to me calendar baby. 2023, let’s aim high. Leave shouldas, wouldas, couldas, maybes. Instead: cheeseburgers in paradise, Cocktail stewards for everyone: Put some heat under having fun. Peace and love and goodwill to all. Lucy, don’t take away the football! Other requests that aren’t de trop? A comedian’s pub, full of glee, laughter, And fewer natural disasters, No fuzzy ends of lollipops. Bye ’22, you’ve been ridic. Next year up: don’t be a dick.

The old year has got on its bike. 2022 is primed to pedal, ready to ride. Goodbye to 12 months of rancour, dislikes now the old year has got on its bike. Saddle up for many joyful counterstrikes, and lots of neon-bright smiles amplified. The old year has got on its bike. 2022 is primed to pedal, ready to ride.