Suddenly it all makes sense.

The only way to win is not to play.

It’s my old favourite game…Zugzwang!

How about a nice game of global de-escalation?

Maybe a nice cup of tea, too. And clowns. We need more clowns.

This episode brought to you by bearded ladies and drunken mermaids.

“Be ashamed to die until you have won some victory for humanity.” – Horace Mann

My head hurts. I put a thief in my mouth to steal my brain, as they say. Sometimes you need not to think.

I used to write a lot here, and be content enough. Now I am on tilt.

I am busy, working both at work, and at home when I should let myself have some time off. When I do take some time to myself, I end up playing with my work.

The timing of things is such that I should seek some publicity.

Yet, I don’t really want it. I know it’s a boon for my future career, but I’d prefer to let the work speak for itself. I don’t need for everyone to know *my* name, just so that the right people know what I know. I only need to share what I know with the ones who could actually make a difference.

The ones who stare deeply into the truth and share the measure of the horror with me.

Later, we’ll laugh about it. Once the fixing gets started.

We’ll know that we knew before anyone else. The rest of them will soon claim they always knew. They already do in my experience.

Have a saffron gin and tonic or a lavender martini. Then take some small comfort in your fortune.

Fortune# Your future will contain many books and much time for reading.

That’s a promise and a radical kindness.

Because book tokens go a really long way in our world.

Not bad for an amphibian.

My friend Bendini is in Edinburgh performing for one week only. Unfortunately this bizarre gentleman has failed to provide me with a time or a venue (I’m chiding you gentle sir!).

I will update this post when he does get in touch, and tell you a bit more about him. He is truly a variety performer, with a mix of contortion, sword-swallowing, sideshow, juggling, acrobalance, and showmanship.

In the meantime, he and I have spent some happy hours discussing great acts from history. He introduced me to this sideshow character who I had never heard of: Hadji Ali. I must say it has been a long time since I saw such originality, and an act I think could not be performed in this era.

Take the time to make yourself a tea or coffee before watching this video. I promise it will be worth the time taken to sit down and enjoy it. Perhaps in a future post we can track down some history on this strange and titanic act of physical control. If you already have some, then point it out in comments below. I’d love to hear more!

What is inside this man?

This weekend I had the rare pleasure of scheduling Darwin College May Ball. For those of you outside Cambridge, these are the lavish parties at the end of term that each college throws. They are surreal and ridiculous…and this year they got what they wanted….Circus.

In my case I was responsible for 43 performers working four ‘stages’ for a seven hour event. This also means I owe my best performers a blog post each…which means you lucky looky looky people get an eyeful of some stars.

So in the first of a few posts about these talented folks we begin with the host I wanted and got: Desmond O Connor. He deserves special mention for attracting crowds into a room that no drinks were allowed in. There are comperes who are good at what they do, and then there are the legends. The ones who are worth it because they can deal with problems, and turn them into triumphs. In this case, Des began in room of about five, and he just quietly strummed his ukelele, until he transformed it into a room of a hundred. His crowd management and building skills were exceptional, and so goes down in my little black book of performers as a man who can have some fun backstage, but truly know hows to work the stage as well.

The details of stage management should not concern you dear reader, and you would probably prefer to have a song…

I wonder if he really did use my clown nose to do his make-up?

There’s a friend of mine, who is a stunning magician. I’m working on a book with him and the other 9OD crew (for magicians only I’m afraid, and a wickedly small print run). Today, I missed his magic, and I thought I might share it with you, and a cup of coffee. You might need to let it buffer all the way before you watch it, but it is brief and beautiful, and everything I like in magic.

“Poor and content is rich and rich enough.”

This year I am in a poverty of time. In lieu of deliberate thought and something worth saying, I offer what was given to me: Rob Murray.