Songs and their lyrics – like Pharrell Williams‘ “Happy” – often reflect the mood of a country or now, given our “global village” technology, large chunks of the world. Released in November 2013 and used as a soundtrack for the movie Despicable Me 2, Pharrell Williams‘ song has become an anthem picked up by millions. [Read more…]
Are Pharrell Williams’ “Happy” words a sign of happier times?
March 24, 2014 By 2 Comments
Cartoonists: in the beginning is The Word
February 13, 2014 By 2 Comments
Illustration for an article: Valentine’s Day originated from the sacrifice of goats and dogs followed by slapping women and crop fields with the bloody dripping hides stripped from the goats.
Hence this cartoon…
Recently I asked my good friend Simon Ellinas, cartoonist and caricaturist extraordinaire, to share what he sees as the relationship between cartoons and words. Here is his very funny yet poignant and fascinating response…
What do words mean to a cartoonist? [Read more…]
Nelson Mandela RIP: a sad goodbye to the power of his peaceful words
December 5, 2013 By Leave a Comment
Today we have had to say goodbye to one of the world’s greatest statesmen, and someone who – despite lengthy imprisonment – believed that talking and using words were what would lead to solutions of national and international problems. [Read more…]
Why we need to give thanks to the USA
November 28, 2013 By 6 Comments
UPDATED NOVEMBER 2020 … and this was written in gloriously pre-Trump days … On the day when families gather all over the USA to give thanks, it’s only fitting that we here in the UK should think about the things for which we owe gratitude to our American friends. Here are some of my suggestions. Even if you’re American – tell us what we really should be grateful for. (And can we forget the Boston Tea Party once and for all please?)
Why pizza truth can be much stranger than fiction …
November 17, 2013 By 5 Comments
An old story that’s purported to be true…
…when the reality seems so ridiculous that no-one can believe you’re being serious…
Yes, it’s funny.
But it could happen for real… [Read more…]
Twerking: a guide for etymologists
October 22, 2013 By 26 Comments
I can hear it now … the chorus of intellectuals in the portals of universities in English-speaking countries trilling their joy at the entry of a relatively new word into our everyday parlance. Twerking! Welcome! [Read more…]
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