Sunset

One night this week, the forecast temperature was 4deg C. That morning there was solid ice all over the roof and windscreen of our car at 7am. These are some of the pots we are caretaking for a friend. One of them looks like a geranium to me; lots of delicate spring leaves. The overnight forecast for Tuesday morning is 1deg C. We need to decide on some responsible behaviour

I like that the shadows on the limewash are not the shadows of the plants in the shot - you spotted that, didn't you? You have to keep your eyes open for moments when everything is not as it appears

Someone had has to resign because a senior employment barrister has confirmed he is a workplace bully. He says he is a victim. His staff, or worse, their union, have engineered his downfall because they are opposed to his political policies. He is a martyr to his cause

I think about gig workers, Deliveroo, Amazon, Uber, countless others, without unions to engineer any downfalls. Bullied sometimes by their human supervisors, I'm sure. I'm equally sure that their supervisors are often bullied by theirs. "...and so ad infinitum". But the intermediary bully in many cases is not a sweaty individual but a tireless algorithm, immune to investigation or feelings of victimhood. Deus ex machina, the resolution of the problem

Some people are worried that we will be governed by AI - algorithms with better language skills. "The Minister regrets having to implement this policy but the Intrlligence has confirmed that this is the option with the most beneficial outcome for all. This government will always follow the Intelligence. The Intelligence will allocate tasks to the most appropriate officials and monitor their compliance and progress accordingly. In order to eliminate any risk of bullying, the Minister will have no direct contact with officials. The Intelligence will be responsible for ensuring that officials deliver the policy on time and within budget"

Plato used shadows on a wall as an allegory of everyday experience, which is not the same as the reality - hidden from the shadow-watchers - of the actual objects creating the shadows: the reality behind our everyday experience. If all you have ever seen is shadows, reality is hard to accept. Everything is not always as it appears