I stand before you astounded .... by a wild goose chase

Since as I remarked not long ago nobody learns history now you are excused for not knowing anything about the gent on the left.

He is Clive of India, who won battles which transformed the position of the British in India from being mercantile visitors to being able to rule the entire subcontinent.

I am not sure this was a good thing, but maybe it wasn't all bad

That is by the by, but recent research suggests that some of his success was due to judicious bribery as much as military brilliance. However, one thing is beyond doubt: he came away obscenely wealthy.

When he was dragged before the House of Commons (a bunch of hypocrites then as now) to explain how he came by it all, he was outraged.

He could have done a lot better, he said. "I stand before you astounded by my own moderation."

Well, when I look at my own record, I am frequently astounded by my own incompetence.

Take, for example, the words above this little farrago of nonsense "Leave now if easily shocked or politically correct." At the end there is supposed to be a link to where you can download my helpful ideas - but I've just discovered that for God knows how long it has done nothing of the sort. It's been sending people on a wild goose chase, to my email address

I have no idea how long that has been the case, but we've fixed it now.

And goodnight from somewhere in Sweden.

It is raining.

I could have stayed at home, really.