Parenthood has its moments.

Tonight, for example, my daughter and I sat down and discussed algebra, tactics at the Battle of Hastings, Barbara Castle, and Volodymyr Zelenskyy's Twitter account.

For a year now, a member of my family has been a high priority on a waiting list for a bacterial infection in their ear.

I am so, so tired of us all paying the cost of Conservative misrule.

A few months back, my boss voluntarily said he wanted us to stop working on Friday afternoons, so we could all go home and be with our families / enjoy life / have some leisure time.

A) I remain amazed at his generosity, and

B) It really is as good as you think it is. Productivity hasn't suffered one bit, but life the whole week round feels more enjoyable.

Between one breakdown, two job losses and a global pandemic, I seem to have lost the habit of regular social interaction. I don't fear it or anything, but conversation with strangers for example just feels far more investment than I can be bothered to make.

This is bizarre, as I'm wise enough to know that human contact is one of the great wells of personal resilience, and of community.

I never believed the "what doesn't kill you makes you stronger" adage, but honestly, nearly 4 years after my breakdown I'm still dented in many ways.

I still feel vulnerable, and exposed in situations I would have dealt with easily before. There's no moral lesson here, beyond the fact that personal growth isn't a straight line

The Lycett £10k shredding is a sad moment.

Brand Beckham wasn't an accident, it was one of the most assiduously executed PR pushes ever. See Danny Rogers' 'Campaigns That Shook the World.' As part of it, DB was an early gay ally.

A generation on, it seems he's taken a decision that 'the brand' would be best served by ignoring JL.

Don't upset the corporate horses by actually using your influence for good. Don't spook sponsors by choosing a 'side.' Not choosing is to side with the oppressor.