Author: James
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The War-and-Peace-O-Meter: Week Seventeen
Previous weeks: 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 11, 12, 13, 14, 16 And so we come to the end. I started War and Peace five months ago. Since then there have been riots on the streets of London, and the News of the World has closed due to the phone-hacking…
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A Smart Young Executive/Beach Bum
The Little Monkey has always had an eye for a dapper outfit, but now that he’s a bit older, Mrs. Monkeyshines and I have fun getting him togged out in some lovely threads. (Although you’ll have to wait for pictures of him in his waistcoat, as he was sick on it before we could get…
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The War-and-Peace-O-Meter: Week Sixteen
Previous weeks: 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 11, 12, 13, 14 I had thought that I’d have finished by now, and indeed, I have read the main body of the book plus most of the epilogue. But, to be honest, the latter part of the epilogue is a bit of…
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The Pre-Natal Little Monkey
The Little Monkey celebrates 3 months on the face of the planet today; which means that a year ago (± 2 days) a tiny clump of cells had popped into existence that would develop into our lovely little baby. As a scientist I suppose I had an intellectual conception of life’s commonplace miracles, but when…
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The War-and-Peace-O-Meter: Week Fourteen
Previous weeks: 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 11, 12, 13 As one nears the end of an epic piece of literature, I think there’s often a small sadness, that your time in another world, with its cast of wonderful characters, is coming to an end. Certainly, a book can be…
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The War-and-Peace-O-Meter: Week Thirteen
Previous weeks: 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 11, 12 The pagination-odometer ticked round into four figures this week, which doesn’t happen often. In fact, I’m not sure I’ve ever read a book that long; I read all three Lord of the Rings books in a single tome, but I don’t…
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A Week of Firsts
Imagine being so new to the world that you can do three quite ordinary things for the first time in one week. Or, at least, things whose familiarity has made them seem ordinary, even though they are rather amazing. A Cold The Little Monkey went to storytime at the local library, and although he is…
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The War-and-Peace-O-Meter: Week Twelve
Previous weeks: 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 11 Up to page 909 (of 1358) this week, roughly two-thirds through the book, and at the end of Part II of Volume III. I think this volume has already taught me more history than three years-worth of secondary school History education. (I…
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Our Velociraptor Baby
[I realise I’m muddying the appellative waters by referring to the Little Monkey as a dinosaur, but normal simian service will be resumed after this post.] I seem to constantly be writing about how surprised I am by some aspect or other of our baby’s growth and development. This week it is the range of…