February 22, 2020

A Very British Guide to the US Election - part 3 - Joe Biden

Welcome back to my Very British Guide to the US Election, where we’ve been talking about the machinations of the race for the White House. If you’ve missed them, catch parts 1 and 2. Today’s the day of the Nevada Caucuses, and will be a make-or-break day for some of the remaining candidates. Chief amongst those is probably former Vice-President, Joe Biden. Let’s talk about Joe. Joe’s campaign is not where his advisors and pundits thought it would be at this early stage.

February 20, 2020

A Very British Guide to the US Election - part 2

This is Part 2 of my Very British Guide to the US Election. If you missed Part 1, find it here. So, now that we’ve covered our Civics 101, looking at Congress, the President, voting and the Electoral College, let’s start looking at what’s actually going to happen this year. Donald Trump vs. ?? Presidents can only serve a maximum of two consecutive terms of 4 years, for a total of 8 years.

February 20, 2020

A Very British Guide to the US Election - part 1

It’s officially Election season in the US. I mean, for reals. It feels like it has been looming, ominously, on the horizon here, like a unavoidable future task that will definitely demand your attention - like a tax return, or a leaky roof. And, it’s kind of felt like this since the day of the infamous “yuge” inauguration, and the rumbling, lengthy sagas of the Robert Mueller report1 and the Impeachment trial2 were just mere distractions before the real task at hand.

February 10, 2020

Some kind of re-introduction

So hey. Hi. I feel like it’s been a while. It has been a while. Probably an idea to restate some things, and to get re-acquainted. Maybe I’ll write more comprehensive stories about these things in time, but, y’know, since we last met, here’s the skinny on what’s been happening: We moved to the US in April 2017 I still work for Microsoft We bought a house We got a dog (Elmo) We had a baby (Stanley Bear) We have permanent residence (Green Card) status now That last one is actually particularly important.

February 10, 2020

Writers Block: New Adventures in Blogging

What? Ugh. Dmphf. I feel I have so many things to say. To write. Thoughts and ideas and nonsense and nuanced opinion, maybe. Maybe. But I just can’t get these thoughts formed into words in any kind of meaningful way, and out onto a page. The part of my brain that works this stuff out is utterly dormant, the muscle is in atrophy. We live in a remarkable time, no question.

February 24, 2018

A thing about guns.

I posted a throwaway remark the other day suggesting America ban all guns. A wholly simplistic and unrealistic proposal today, and probably, for the foreseeable future. It's easy to be a Brit and say "America! just ban guns", but then you come here, and you live here and you see and NOPE NOPE NOPE - just ban the guns. Ban. Guns. The first step to tackling a problem, America, is to admit that you have one, and this is such a very, very large one