Happy Easter, my friends. I’m going to begin with the Orthodox Paschal greeting today because I think the most important thing that I have come to learn these past few years, is how seriously and dangerously cut off from our traditions we are. So – Christ is risen. Now, down to business. I’m currently serving […]
Category: culture
This blog began about two years ago. With hope, fear, insecurity, desperation, and a curious shift in circumstances that brought an unexpected bounty of free time for reflection and naval-gazing (bad pun intended), I promised you all a weekly meeting. With the luxurious wallowing in free time enjoyed in those extraordinary circumstances of my first […]
In my latest (publishable) dream I was standing on the quayside waiting for my ship to come in. I had been waiting for this ship for a very long time. As I caught a glimpse of it on the horizon, I received news that the ship had been infiltrated by treacherous rebels, and that we’d […]
Categories
Overloaded
I can only apologise for the recent radio silence, my friends. I’ve been a busy boy of late. It’s a bit of a shame that the cooler the stuff I do, the more NDAs and social media disclaimers I have to sign. I don’t think many of you have a spare $800M lying around that […]
I did once visit the Greenpeace ship, Rainbow Warrior. Not the current ship to bear that name, but it’s predecessor. She was an old Aberdonian trawler, cut down the middle and lengthened to accommodate various fast daughter craft on her main deck, ready for commando-style launching while underway at sea. At that time, around 2009 […]
It’s dim now, but what I remember most about that night was the physical pain. My mother woke me in the middle of the night in a state of total hysteria. ‘Get up, now! It’s Tony! He’s in the hospital! Get up, NOW!’ My left ear was in agony. It felt like it had been […]
Why does the whole world have to listen to America? Why is everyone supposed to care about this place, no matter where they live on earth? What is so important about this society? And can’t we just ignore them? Aren’t they just evil, selfish, bad, no-good merchants of death and inequality? The USA is a […]
Please, close your eyes right now, and make a wish. Go on. I’ll wait. I think it’s worth doing from time to time. Whatever your heart really desires right now, can probably reveal to you all that is worthy of gratitude in your life, and what you need to be doing less of. My sweet […]
I’ve returned home. After one month at sea, we proceeded directly to Ireland for a little road trip vacation. We had planned to stay with a friend, who sadly had to cancel at the last minute. We decided to go anyway, as the kids had been looking forward to it. Also, we badly needed to […]
Eternal Father, strong to save, Whose arm hath bound the restless wave, Who bids the mighty ocean deep, It’s own appointed limits keep; O hear us when we cry to Thee For those in peril on the sea. The Navy Hymn, William Whitting, 1860. Some went out on the sea in ships; they were merchants […]