‘Ghana was the crime scene’: The country leading the demand for slavery reparations presents three quite different perspectives. The wicked West is perhaps the mostly fondly held in the present age, but that is to disregard the rôle that at least one of those nations played in both the abolition of the trade and slavery itself, though not without much opposition from many who lived in West Africa even until living memory. That of King Tackie Teiko Tsuru II, which is not given the space it rightly deserves in this article, is the least likely to be heard, and most likely to be rejected, but in Coco’s understanding probably much closer to the truth that many would wish to acknowledge. The third view is that which describes the corruption of some of the modern efforts to alleviate some of the poverty, which existed before even the West was involved, by the personal economic interests of organisations involved.
Continue readingPolitics
Speaking the truth
Coco sometimes finds it difficult to see the wood for the trees when trying to decide what is really important about recent pieces of news speculation over the contents of which has been perhaps been suppressed for six or more years. When the Director of a Government organisation resigns, for personal not political reasons, and on the last working day, 19 June 2026, releases that which had been classified, then you, dear reader, might be forgiven for thinking that perhaps the resignation was political after all, and perhaps more so when the content of the disclosures are considered.
But to think in that way would be to impugn the integrity of the outgoing directress, whom we could not call a whistle-blower for she was acting in her official capacity as Director of National Intelligence of the government of the United States. The press release may be found here: Fauci Funded Wuhan Lab Research That Sparked COVID.
Continue readingTheresienstadt
Ilse Weber (1903-1944) was an Austro-Czech composer who wrote this song during her time in Theresienstadt before she left for Auschwitz where she was murdered in the gas chamber with her young son.
Ich wandre durch Theresienstadt,
das Herz so schwer wie Blei.
Bis jäh mein’ Weg ein Ende hat,
Bis jäh mein’ Weg ein Ende hat,
dort knapp an der Bastei.
dort knapp an der Bastei.
Dort bleib ich auf der Brücke stehn
und schau ins Tal hinaus:
ich möcht so gerne weiter gehn,
ich möcht so gerne weiter gehn,
ich möcht so gern nach Haus!
ich möcht so gern nach Haus!
Nach Haus! du wunderbares Wort,
du machst das Herz mir schwer.
Man nahm mir mein Zuhause fort,
Man nahm mir mein Zuhause fort,
nun hab ich keines mehr.
nun hab ich keines mehr.
Ich wende mich betrübt und matt,
so schwer wird mir dabei:
Theresienstadt, Theresienstadt,
wann wohl das Leid ein Ende hat,
wann sind wir wieder frei?
wann sind wir wieder frei?
Whilst wandering through Theresienstadt
My heart as heavy as lead
My way came to a sudden end
My way came to a sudden end
Just by the bastion gate.
Just by the bastion gate.
I linger there upon the bridge
To look out on the vale
I long to walk on further then
I long to walk on further then
I long to go back home!
I long to go back home!
My home – those words are wonderful!
They cause my heart to groan.
They snatched my home away from me.
They snatched my home away from me.
I have nowhere to go.
I have nowhere to go.
Weary I wend my way distressed
Painful is life for me.
Theresienstadt! Theresienstadt!
When truly shall our sorrow end?
When shall we be set free?
When shall we be set free?
There is a beautiful snippet of Anne-Sofie von Otter singing Theresienstadt on Boosey’s website.
ChoralWiki and Noteworthy Scriptorium
The copyright of the arrangement and translation is held by Stuart Moffatt (© 2026).
The midi file was produced using Noteworthy Composer.
The mp3/ogg were produced using Myriad software.
Xmas treats?
Whilst, in the words from the article, LICC is not ‘automatically aligned with [Coco’s] opinions1‘ this is an interesting article from the London Institute of Contemporary Christianity.
Not on our side: Christmas and the danger of co-opting Jesus
Continue readingGnats and camels
It was an amusing tale in the published by the BBC Council’s clean-up warning for St George’s crosses but also the co-incidence with an article published by the LICC that prompted Coco. We do so easily see the gnat, but fail to notice that there is a camel in our beaker of notoriously middle-class or upwardly-mobile freshly ground and brewed, steamed, iced, skinny, but extra hot, caramel latté (Coco’s judgement on that drink: ☹).
Continue readingPreferred pronouns
What a mess is the language of Coco.
Not so long ago most dialects of British (if not also other forms of the language) English dropped the singular form of the second person, though it hung on for in the vales and tor of the West Riding for many a long year after its abandonment in standard English, so that What has(‘)t(‘)h’done could ring in the ear of many a bairn. Coco is not quite sure of the correct orthography, perhaps you/thou dear reader will/wilt provide it.
Privacy infringed?
UK backs down in Apple privacy row, US says
Privacy is an important matter, but so too is national security, whatever that may mean in any particular context. It was this article on the BBC that reminded Coco that he should make a disclosure before it became too late to do so.
Continue readingManhood
It is no wonder that there is confusion over what men are – and as this post were posted elsewhere would likely to be taken down soon, take note. Coco shall not attribute the quote, for if he do then his behaviour shall not be any better than that which he is about to criticise. In a recent interview a businessman said that he thought companies needed more masculine energy. Whether they do, or they do not, is not the discussion for today. The interesting part of what was said is the definition of masculinity that followed. We have to be careful however as the business man was canny enough to place a glottal stop, a chasm, between the first statement and the definition, which he could also argue is not a definition. Indeed it is true, it was not framed as a definition, but rather as a pencil illustration, a cartoon if you like. His comments may then be charged with being non sequitur. So be it, you may make your own conclusion.
Continue readingEuthanised
Coco has no wish to pass judgement, and he hopes that there is no sense of that in the following, but the circumstances of the disappearance and subsequent demise of the squirrel afford an opportunity for a couple of comments.
Continue readingLockdown (too)
The following post may provoke a response from the censers(sic!), and a lockdown which is far from useless, though perhaps needless, may be imposed here, after which you shall be glad never to hear from me again.
What do you think of what was orated by the Lord Hannan of Kingsclere?
The story about the people of Ohio is quite entertaining..
Continue reading