Quintin Jardine's blog

Am I the only person in the world who can’t tell Ryan Reynolds and Ryan Gosling apart?

I am pedantic, okay, but I am annoyed, genuinely, by the number of journalists who do not know the difference between principle and principal.

I saw a post on Facebook today by someone I have actually met, someone I like and respected. Why that past tense?

Because the post was a photo of a novel by a celeb that she had received but not read, accompanied by one deprecatory word.

Because the poster has a following the slur attracted, even inspired a flood of similar insults by a motley crew of losers, all of whom I have now blocked.

Please friend, don’t demean yourself. Take it down.

I might be more interested in Dune 2, but for the fact that I will need to rewatch Dune 1 to find out what it’s all about. But what guarantee is there that I won’t do what I did last time and fall asleep halfway through?

No, they can market it as hard as they like, but that obstacle, coupled with the fact that I don’t actually give one about the mythic journey of Paul Atreides and all those other bozos, will make me pass it by.

That said, I haven’t been sleeping too well lately so ……,

Skinner 36 will be called ‘Secrets and Lies’, first format publication, November 7.

Skinner 37? Gimme a break.

‘The Cage’ paperback is due to escape from the warehouse on June 20x

We have a title for the new Skinner, which is nearing completion. Watch this space.

This is a terrible thing for a monarchist to admit, but every time I hear someone on radio refer to ‘The King’, still I think of Elvis.

‘On the Beach’ holiday travel TV ad. Would you want to be on the same package as that crew?

www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2024/mar/25/judges-resign-from-men-only-garrick-club

I recall a pub in Glasgow near my school where a notice at the entrance read: ‘No ladies supplied.’ Okay you can take that two ways, but what I don’t recall was a female picket line outside.

I can see why the Guardian, being woke and all that, is targeting the Garrick, but it’s ignoring a much bigger male bastion, namely the United Grand Lodge of England, Grand Master for the last 48 years HRH the Duke of Kent.

Further to yesterday’s post, the Guardian is reporting that Richard Moore, the head of MI6 has resigned his membership of the Carrick Club because of internal criticism within his service. Seems to me that Mr Moore should be replaced at once. It’s alarming that the nation’s security is in the hands of a man who can’t even stand up to his own staff,

Seems to me also that if 60% and up of the Carrick membership were Guardian readers, the original story would have been spiked, along with its author, whose objectivity must be compromised by the very fact that she’s a woman.

www.theguardian.com/law/2024/mar/19/legal-professions-most-powerful-among-members-of-londons-men-only-garrick-club

I’m liberal, (lower case l), broad minded and inclusive, as anyone who knows me would confirm, but I’m also a bloke. I’m not going to apologise for it, or compromise in any way. I’ve been in the Garrick Club. I have no wish to be a member and if I did, all those lawyers would probably put me off, but I will defend their right to choose to remain exclusively male.

I’m kind of hooked on a BBC drama series from ten years ago, give or take. It’s called Hinterland, it was shot in both Welsh and English and set in west Wales, in and around Aberystwyth, I don’t know why I like it because all of the characters seem to be desperately unhappy. There are no smiles, only unremitting misery. I can only guess that’s what living there does to a person.

A couple of minutes ago I had a call from this number: 07778 173445.

The automated caller told me that she was from HMRC and that I would be prosecuted unless …

That was as far as she got. Be aware.

Got to say this: as a society we are becoming more and more cruel, but even that is outstripped by our cynicism. As witness this morning’s staged performance by the saintly Holly what’s her name. My disgust is tempered only by my knowledge that what goes around comes around.

Skechers Slip-ins. Really? Seriously? Why? Shoes for lazy ********.

I watch golf on Sky. Unfortunately that brings with it a ton of advertising by Rolex. I don’t know who writes the copy but whoever does must have a degree in pretentiousness. Some of it doesn’t even make sense.

Guys, it’s only a watch.

Who Gives a Crap?

Lured by the impending end of ‘Succession’, and to fill the space between episodes, I have been revisiting the first season, in which I never quite invested at the outset. If the makers get the ending right it may well go down as an all-time great series, up there with ‘Breaking Bad’, and the sadly neglected ‘Homicide: life on the streets’.

My big fear, though, is that I might turn into Logan Roy.

This evening I forced myself to watch The Windsors: Coronation Special, because Channel 4 advertised it as comedy. It wasn’t: it was satire. What’s the difference? Cruelty. Comedy is laughing with people. Satire is laughing at them.