ACEQUIAS
“Acequias” is a system of water management known as “sowing water”. The word is derived from the Arabic word “as-saquiva”, which means “water conduit” or …
GOING FOR A BONG
I found the following story, “Going for a Bong”, intriguing and, in perhaps a rather bizarre way, fun. Yes, it is about the marketing of …
ROUNDABOUTS
The joy of roundabouts might draw the comment that you should probably think about “getting a life!” if you derive joy from so mundane a …
3D PRINTING
The advent of 3D printing has changed many products and introduced many new ones, some of them good and some of them downright dangerous, like …
SEEKING ADVICE
A close friend of many years once told me that he has a policy of always seeking advice for any major decision he has to …
HOUSE OF LORDS
The British House of Lords has variously been described as an anachronism, ridiculous, absurd, and the best day-care centre for the elderly in London. Its …
King of Hay
The King of Hay reigned over his independent nation on the border between England and Wales from 1977 to his death in 2019: Forty-two years …
JUST HOW THIRSTY ARE YOU
“Just how thirsty are you” might be the calling card of the most remote pub in the British Isles. The journey to the Old Forge …
SUNSET CLAUSE
The “Sunset Clause”. I’ve often wondered why legislation expires. If an issue is important enough to require legislation to turn it into a law, what’s …
BIG CATS
There is a man in England who has spent the past three decades trying to prove that big cats are prowling the green and pleasant …