Introducing "A Tale of Two Cats"

Although I have been a cat owner for almost a year and a half now, it still feels somewhat bizarre when I say it out loud. Indeed, if someone had told me eighteen months ago that in a year's time I'd own not just one but two cats, I would have laughed in their face and kindly asked them to leave my house. Of course, this wasn't quite my reaction when someone actually did suggest that I adopt a cat. Then again, it was probably for the best; I don't think asking my partner to leave would have gone down too well. Nevertheless, even though I am now technically a cat owner, I take great care not to give people the impression that I am some kind of pet lover. That is not to suggest that I dislike animals, I'd just rather they weren't anywhere near me or my belongings. I will admit, however, that this was a much easier task before we adopted Mona and Tilly.

An Englishman in Paris: Observations & Reflections

This time last week I had never been to Paris. Not for any particular reason, mind you, other than for the simple fact that I had never had cause to go. Nevertheless, even for someone who has never visited the French capital, the mere mention of Paris evokes such a wealth of familiar sights and sounds that you could quite easily persuade yourself otherwise. After all, isn't Paris the Tour Eiffel, the Musée du Louvre, the Cathédrale Notre-Dame? Is it not the Arc de Triomphe and the Avenue des Champs-Élysées? Surely, by the same token, Paris is even the Mona Lisa and the Venus de Milo? Having now spent time in the capital, I can honestly say that the answer is yes; it is everything that the non-resident thinks it is. And yet, as with every tourist destination, Paris is more than it's defining landmarks and, although they may be reason enough to visit, it is the experience of the city itself that sticks in the mind. This is the Paris that is not immediately obvious; the living, breathing city that exists in the shadow of it's own immortal status. Therefore, although I enjoyed visiting the Parisian monuments, if only to prove their existence, it was the subtle differences in culture that I found most interesting. 

Every Picture Tells A Story #7

Get a cat they said. It'll be fun they said.

Reality TV, The Apprentice and Job Hunting

It must be an exceedingly difficult task to choose the handful of successful applicants from the thousands of starry-eyed hopefuls who apply for each series of The Apprentice. Exceedingly difficult, that is, not for a lack of talent (nor an abundance for that matter) but for the simple fact that the show is as much an exercise in reality television as it is an exposition of business practice. Therefore, whilst it is true to say that the successful candidates must display at least a basic level of business acumen, this detail is only necessary in so far as it justifies the show's central premise. It is equally true, however, to say that television programmes live and die by their viewers and, thus, what is far more important is that the candidates are entertaining to watch. And this brings us to the curious paradox that lies at the heart of "reality TV"; that is to say that, in order to turn reality in to a viable form of entertainment, it must be manipulated in such a way that it is no longer merely a reflection of real life. Rather it is an illusion; a form of hyper reality, perhaps. It is only in this illusory world that The Apprentice can exist, for only here is it possible that such a sorry band of applicants could possibly make the short list for a lucrative partnership with one of Britain's most prestigious businessmen. And yet, in spite of their mediocrity, they are undeniably entertaining to watch, even if that entertainment revolves almost entirely around their vulgarity.