nickhereandnow

It's common for someone to justify their beliefs or actions by saying "Well, it's traditional". It's a handy explanati...

Some people habitually read things into what others say. They never take a remark at face value, they always speculate on what the person is...

Apparently sibling rivalry isn't just one of those dubious cliches, it's real. There are plenty of siblings who really do compete fr...

At the age of 74 I still don't feel like an adult, only an overgrown child. There are so many things I can barely cope with, and only wi...

One of the big debates among political protesters is what sort of protest to engage in - what is most likely to get the result they want and...

A long time ago I made a list of all my sleep-related quirks and habits. I thought my more recent followers might like to see it. I seldom s...

Slang is always contro-versial. Is it a valid part of the language or is it something to be avoided? Does it add colour and vividness or is ...

When Jenny and I are in a restaurant, we're always aware that tips added to a credit card payment may never reach the server but be stea...

Back in 2013 I listed some of the modern-day trends that I simply don't understand. Things that leave me scratching my head in bewilderm...

I lost my faith in politicians a long time ago, and this sort of thing is why - the ongoing anarchy in the Holylands area of Belfast, an are...

For the life of me I don't understand why so many people want to be famous. I can understand wanting to be rich and never having any mor...

I tend to assume that everything in a biography/ autobiography/ memoir must be true because they're based on real lives and real people....

Winning a fortune may seem like a wonderful idea, but the reality may not be so enjoyable. All sorts of unforeseen conse-quences could make ...

When I think of my parents (both now dead), I have a strong sense of loss. But it's not the loss of what was, or what they meant to me. ...

Apparently a majority of men (53%) have negative feelings about their body image, which isn't far off the figure for women (62%). They d...

I'm endlessly amazed at the dotty projects local councils get up to, quite often ignoring widespread advice that the project is dotty an...

It's the custom to pass on your inheritance (if you're lucky enough to have one) to your offspring or other family members. Eyebrows...

I have a problem with novels that other people don't seem to have. I find it very hard to conjure up a vivid mental picture of the chara...

Social phobias of one kind or another are very common, and one of them is fear of public speaking. That's certainly one of my own fears,...

I know I've got a slight bee in my bonnet, but I can't help noticing that a lot of people are getting more aggressive and abusive, a...