Stagecoach? Fielding’s Tom Jones and easy reading. Is there an easier long novel to read than Henry Fielding’s Tom Jones? In the context of a project on mock heroic, I decided I needed to re-read it and I was struck by the extent to which it …

Stagecoach? Fielding's Tom Jones and easy reading. Reposting on Fielding's birthday. conradbrunstrom.wordpress.com/2023/07/25/s...

Pope Francis died on Rome’s Birthday Rome is 2779 years old today. The Pope died on New Year’s Day 2778 Ab Urbe Condita (AUC). I’m no numerologist, but being reminded of an obsolete dating system reminds me of the frailty …

Pope Francis died on Rome's Birthday conradbrunstrom.wordpress.com/2025/04/21/p...

The Mueller Report, Reviewed. mueller-report-searchable (1) Well, I’ve read it.  That’s to say I’ve read it through once.  I should probably read it a few more times. I had thought this report might consist of…

Seven years ago today, the Mueller Report was published. If the Senate consisted of self respecting vertebrate legislators instead of courtier jellyfish - this report would have consigned Trump to the dustbin of history years ago. conradbrunstrom.wordpress.com/2019/04/22/t...

The Culloden Anniversary. Everybody’s Defeat 280 years ago today… Nobody celebrates the final defeat of Jacobitism these days (not that anyone at the time knew it was the final defeat of Jacobitism). There are, and I believe always have…

The Culloden Anniversary. Everybody's Defeat conradbrunstrom.wordpress.com/2026/04/16/t...

Titanic Belfast and the Kantian Sublime. Recently we arranged with friends of our to visit Belfast for the day to take the boys to the Titanic Belfast Exhibit. Ever cynical bone in my body prepared myself to steel myself for the commodifi…

On the anniversary of the sinking. Titanic Belfast and the Kantian Sublime. conradbrunstrom.wordpress.com/2016/05/16/t...

Bad behaviour in Theatres. Example 1. Lincoln shot OTD in 1865 Having written a bit about bad behaviour in theatres, and having given lectures on the history of theatre – there’s one example of spectacularly bad behaviour in a theatre that I can ne…

Bad behaviour in Theatres. Example 1. Lincoln shot OTD in 1865 conradbrunstrom.wordpress.com/2020/04/14/b...

Vance meets the Pope. Pope dies. Vance goes to boost Orban. Orban loses by a landslide. I'm hoping Vance now restates his complete faith in Trump's leadership.

Orban's gone. So there's that.

SNL London and Whooping Last night’s SNL was rather good – better I think than last week’s. I learn that they are taking a week off for quality control purposes. This seems to me to suggest that they wan…

SNL London and Whooping conradbrunstrom.wordpress.com/2026/04/12/s...

There it is.

South Pacific.

The Least Equestrian Man In Europe Ponders The Grand National conradbrunstrom.wordpress.com/2015/04/10/t...

Get Smart. conradbrunstrom.wordpress.com/2019/04/11/g...

Yeah - I always liked to think it was the same kids. They record "Another Brick in the Wall" and immediately trapse into an adjacent studio to record "No one quite like Grandma".

Happy Birthday Hazlitt. One of the reasons why we have "Romanticism". conradbrunstrom.wordpress.com/2025/04/10/h...

Always sad that Ray Winstone never starred in the Terry Venables story...

Good Luck ASECS 2026. Can't be there. Just can't. conradbrunstrom.wordpress.com/2026/04/09/g...

Thomas D’Arcy McGee – Canada’s Edmund Burke: blown away OTD in 1868. Most nations are born out of bloodshed.  They come screaming into the world.  The recognition of a spanking new polity usually involves fields full of corpses.  But not Canada.  Not quite.  Canada …

Thomas D'Arcy McGee - Canada's Edmund Burke: blown away OTD in 1868. conradbrunstrom.wordpress.com/2018/04/07/t...

Strindberg forgot this good advice towards the end of his career.

Leonard Bernstein’s 1973 Ely Cathedral Face I recently relistened to/rewatched on YouTube the performance of Mahler’s 2nd (Resurrection) Symphony conducted by Leonard Bernstein in 1973 at Ely Cathedral. I was not present at that august…

Leonard Bernstein's 1973 Ely Cathedral Face conradbrunstrom.wordpress.com/2026/04/05/l...

It's official. All the exciting names for storms have been used up. #StormDave

Oliver Goldsmith in New York – the silence of gentrification? Do any of you have access to The Atlantic? Have you used up your free articles for the month already? Do you already subscribe? There was just published a rather wonderful article by Xochitl Gonzal…

Reposting on the anniversary of Goldsmith's death. conradbrunstrom.wordpress.com/2022/08/03/o...

South Pacific.

King of Kings (1959) spends a lot of time on Salome's dance. A LOT of time. In fact, there may not be time for the crucifixion.

Hang on, apparently Pontius Pilate was being discussed as a successor to Tiberius. That's a bit bonkers. (King of Kings, 1959).

Son of Man. Dennis Potter’s Passion Play. This Jesus never forgets that he’s a carpenter and hugs a cross with a sense of professional appreciation. Colin Blakely’s most important directorial note probably consisted of “j…

Son of Man. Dennis Potter's Passion Play. conradbrunstrom.wordpress.com/2018/04/01/s...

I've just been reminded of the fact that this is the centenary of Robert Holmes' birth. Feel ashamed to have nearly missed the marking of it.

Guilty Pleasures and their Historical Implications. “The Rest is History” podcast considered. Since the end of Lent is nearly upon us, I should get some confessional/penitential material out of my system in the next few days. While I was in hospital, I became addicted to The Rest is History…

Guilty Pleasures and their Historical Implications. "The Rest is History" podcast considered. conradbrunstrom.wordpress.com/2026/04/02/g...

We can't take care of our children because it costs too much money to keep killing people.

True. But successive crises show that as a serial sex offender, he has lost the quality of empathy that makes constructive strategy possible. He is floundering in the Middle East because he cannot imagine himself as someone else - he cannot predict the decisions of others.