From LIFE & ARTS May 12, 2012

My fatherly advice: leave your kids to it

Lucas Varela illustration for 'My fatherly advice: leave your kids to it' ©Lucas Varela

Unless the problem is really serious, I have concluded that my children are better off sorting it out themselves

May 9, 2012

Bin Laden’s dept of inhuman resources

Even in the service of bloody mayhem, certain professional standards were being maintained

An illustration by Lucas Varela ©Lucas Varela From LIFE & ARTS May 5, 2012

My date night with the PM

Normality in a prime minister is, in any case, overrated, especially since no one actually thinks politicians are normal

May 2, 2012

Re-arming an Englishman’s castle

Hunks of aircraft will crash on to London before we let any harm befall our veldodrome

An illustration by Lucas Varela ©Lucas Varela From LIFE & ARTS Apr 28, 2012

The 70s? Let’s not go there…

Perhaps the decade did represent the first tugs at the cultural straitjackets, but these were the faltering efforts

Apr 25, 2012

Pushing the posh out of Downing St

Memos on the privilege problem must be flying across Downing Street

illus of man haggling with a vendor ©Lucas Varela From LIFE & ARTS Apr 21, 2012

Look, how much to stop haggling?

It may be only a couple of quid, but it’s the presumption that you are a fool with more cash than sense which rankles

'No atheists allowed' illustration ©Lucas Varela From LIFE & ARTS Mar 23, 2012

Deliver us from militant atheists

Atheism is a non-belief. Extremism in the name of something that doesn’t exist feels a bit silly

An illustration of a gay couple who got married ©Lucas Varela From LIFE & ARTS Mar 16, 2012

The Catholic Church is ruining my marriage

Acording to our religious leaders it is a dandelion in the wind, easily blown away by others you’ve never met

Mar 14, 2012

A PR strategy for the Kony fightback

The warlord is facing ‘a bit of an image problem’

From LIFE & ARTS Mar 9, 2012

The best film I’ve ever eaten

You can tell me to go to the movies for the experience; actually these days I go for the lattes and the New Zealand sauvignon

From OPINION Mar 7, 2012

A supercomputer for Citigroup

In hiring IBM’s Watson, the bank has stolen a march on its rivals

From LIFE & ARTS Mar 2, 2012

My welfare plan (no shelf-stacking required)

Newly formed Chores for Yours-Truly Inc is eligible for handouts and ready to prepare youngsters for work

Feb 29, 2012

Wanted - celebrity criminals

One day, will crime only be interesting if a famous person is involved?

From LIFE & ARTS Feb 17, 2012

Bourne again…and again… and again

Lamenting the lack of anything worth watching has long been a national pastime, but the switch to digital was meant to end all that

Feb 15, 2012

Soccer spurns the handshake of history

You cannot create reconciliation with a gesture – only its appearance

From LIFE & ARTS Feb 10, 2012

Facebook friends: the art of deletion

If you do decide on some spring cleaning, you need consistent rules to help you justify the decision if challenged

Feb 8, 2012

A dead man’s tale of Russian justice

The case of the lawyer facing prosecution despite having died in custody

Feb 1, 2012

An evening in the Past Knights’ Club

Sir Fred Goodwin has joined one of the most select groups in Britain

From LIFE & ARTS Jan 27, 2012

That’s not what I meant by ‘chilling out’

While the romantic is thinking in the language of love, I appear to be thinking in the language of long johns

Robert Shrimsley

Robert Shrimsley Robert Shrimsley is the Managing Editor of FT.com. Before this he has served as the FT’s chief political correspondent and news editor.

He writes weekly for the Notebook column, a satirical look at the week’s news and for the FT weekend Magazine.

E-mail Robert Shrimsley

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