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Hi, I'm Chris. I'm a 44-year-old Scotsman living in Greater London, England.
Work: I work as a Public Policy Manager for an international law firm. I provided our clients with strategic advice on the work of, and their relationships with, Parliament, Government and the policy community. I also train our clients and our various internal legal teams on public policy and strategic communications.
This will likely be the only time I ever mention anything about my work. As you can imagine, it's rather confidential.
Personal Stuff: I am possibly the most boring person on the internet. Hopefully I'm using these terms correctly - I'm a white straight cis male. I have no major disabilities or illnesses to speak of, although I am dyslexic and very fond of spellcheck and grammarly. I am upper middle-class and live in an affluent neighborhood. I believe in science, I am against racism, homophobia, etc and expect that people will respect that. If I make an error in judgement, I will acknowledge and try learn from my mistakes. I respect views that don't necessarily align with mine, but I don't respect outright bigotry or hatred. I read Law with Politics at university, followed by an MA in Political Economy. I am spiritual with Buddhist leanings. Politically I am Liberal Socialist. My favourite food is pizza.
Family and Friends: I have been married to my wife Ellie for 23 years. We have 3 children - Mary (22), Charlie (20) and Alex (18, 19 in December)
My parents are both still alive, married and relatively healthy which I am more thankful for every year. They still live up in Aberdeen, I talk to them every week and try to see them 4-5 times a year. I'm the oldest of four boys, my brothers Thomas, Henry and William are scattered all over the British Isles
Hobbies and Interests: I'm not into fandom or fan-fiction - although I do love fantasy, horror & science-fiction. I love rock music, rock climbing, snowboarding, marvel movies, Norse mythology, work in politics and nerd out over true crime, serial killers, social justice and political science & philosophy. Moby Dick & Jaws are two of my favourites movies, along with the original Jurassic Park trilogy. I've also been enjoying The Meg movie and books by Steve Alten. The MCU movie series is taking over not just my life, but my childrens' too, and Thor is my God. Stephen King and Michael Crichton are probably my favourite writers, Steven Spielberg and Ron Howard are my favourite directors. I support Arsenal FC. Music wise, we're talking Aerosmith, Metallica, Guns N' Roses & Van Halen.
Likes & Dislikes
My son suggested, after my last post of 'random things about myself', that I should also post some likes and dislikes, and not just obvious things like book/movie/music favourites, because it would help the readers get to know me better. It seems like sound advice so without further ado
Likes
Toothed whales - especially Sperm Whales.
Trying to make the world a better place
Finding connections with other people
Surprises - both being surprised and surprising other people
Close friendships
Lying on the bed, with the breeze blowing in from the window, and staring at the ceiling
Cozying up in front of a burning fire on a cold winters day
Being outside
Doodling - I'm not especiall artistic but it doesn't stop me
Dislikes
Prejudice and intolerance
Being told how to live my life
Confrontation
Cold tea
Worrying about my children
Bureaucracy
Jealousy
Organised religion
Social injustice
Liars
Likes
Toothed whales - especially Sperm Whales.
Trying to make the world a better place
Finding connections with other people
Surprises - both being surprised and surprising other people
Close friendships
Lying on the bed, with the breeze blowing in from the window, and staring at the ceiling
Cozying up in front of a burning fire on a cold winters day
Being outside
Doodling - I'm not especiall artistic but it doesn't stop me
Dislikes
Prejudice and intolerance
Being told how to live my life
Confrontation
Cold tea
Worrying about my children
Bureaucracy
Jealousy
Organised religion
Social injustice
Liars
Entry tags:
Moby Dick
What can I say about this great American novel that hasn’t already been said by generations of readers and academics?
Moby-Dick is as mammoth, mysterious and elusive as the enormous white whale that gives the book its name. The opening line (“Call me Ishmael”) is one of the most famous in all literature. And even people who’ve never read it are familiar with the peg-legged, vengeance-seeking Captain Ahab, the archetype for any maniacally obsessed leader.
What makes the novel so fascinating is how modern it feels. It’s an adventure tale about a man who’s driven to hunt down the beast who maimed him, but it’s also a treatise on whales and the whaling industry, a sharp look at class and culture (the sailors hail from all around the world), and a bold literary experiment, for 1851 or even today.
It’s hugely digressive, contains dialogue that at times sounds Shakespearean, and there’s not really much action until the end. But somehow it’s still very entertaining. Melville (who, of course, knew all about whaling) is such a clever, genial writer, that you’ll be smiling and chuckling throughout and gasping at his powers of description and observation.
You’ll smell the salty air, feel the churning waves and your heart will beat a little faster when one of the crew cries “There she blows!”
I wasn’t especially moved by the story, but I don’t think we’re meant to be. Each of the characters is distinct, and Melville is savvy in the way that he uses silence to reveal dissent, particularly in the growing animosity between Ahab and Starbuck, the responsible first mate. (Yup, that’s where the coffee chain got its name.)
But what I do feel about the book is awe and respect. Like the ocean itself, it is vast and has unknowable depths, and I can see myself in another couple of years venturing back out for another rewarding trip
Moby-Dick is as mammoth, mysterious and elusive as the enormous white whale that gives the book its name. The opening line (“Call me Ishmael”) is one of the most famous in all literature. And even people who’ve never read it are familiar with the peg-legged, vengeance-seeking Captain Ahab, the archetype for any maniacally obsessed leader.
What makes the novel so fascinating is how modern it feels. It’s an adventure tale about a man who’s driven to hunt down the beast who maimed him, but it’s also a treatise on whales and the whaling industry, a sharp look at class and culture (the sailors hail from all around the world), and a bold literary experiment, for 1851 or even today.
It’s hugely digressive, contains dialogue that at times sounds Shakespearean, and there’s not really much action until the end. But somehow it’s still very entertaining. Melville (who, of course, knew all about whaling) is such a clever, genial writer, that you’ll be smiling and chuckling throughout and gasping at his powers of description and observation.
You’ll smell the salty air, feel the churning waves and your heart will beat a little faster when one of the crew cries “There she blows!”
I wasn’t especially moved by the story, but I don’t think we’re meant to be. Each of the characters is distinct, and Melville is savvy in the way that he uses silence to reveal dissent, particularly in the growing animosity between Ahab and Starbuck, the responsible first mate. (Yup, that’s where the coffee chain got its name.)
But what I do feel about the book is awe and respect. Like the ocean itself, it is vast and has unknowable depths, and I can see myself in another couple of years venturing back out for another rewarding trip
Some random things about me
I have been reliably informed that this is 'a good writing exercise', and that it makes you take a good luck at yourself and you often realise things about yourself when you write them down that you didn’t before. So, here goes…
I make note of words I don’t know and look them up later. It's a habit I also tried to instill in my children, and I have a notebook full of them.
I always feel best in a dark blue suit
Rain is one of my favourite sounds
I love finding connections to other people, and never feel self-conscious or out of place, even in a group of strangers. I having a large social circle, but cultivating close friends takes time and trust.
Some of my worst life choices have involved tequila
I will always stand up for myself and get my point across but I loathe arguments, raised voices and drama. I remain permanently unimpressed by people who bring that my way.
I still remember the phone number of the house I grew up in.
I could sit and eat an entire jar of crunchy peanut butter, straight from the jar, licking it off a spoon. I don’t keep peanut butter in the house for this reason.
I'm not a prude, I’m just proper. Certain things have no place being discussed in a public forum.
The way people treat each other generally in society really gets me down.
I find the shocking lack of people who actually listen these days to be pretty depressing.
I used to be a complete pessimist. I wish someone had told me how annoying that was.
Living in London taught me the art of the hustle, how to not stop til you get what you want, how to be unapologetic for wanting greatness
I love those moments where you share a smile or random bit of banter with a stranger.
I'd like to live in Paris for a while. I have no idea what I’d do there, probably just sit in cafes and people watch all day, but I’d love to do it.
I love clothes, style and the art of dressing. I’m not a fan of actually shopping though.
My brothers and I have the kind of relationship where one word can trigger an inside joke that’ll have us laughing for an hour. It’s awesome.
In my line of work, I appreciate my go-with-the-flow attitude. It's not that I don't get stressed, but I don't let stress get to me
I want to try a floatation tank
It's not that I hold grudges exactly, but I do remember a lot of disagreements and hurt feelings
I make note of words I don’t know and look them up later. It's a habit I also tried to instill in my children, and I have a notebook full of them.
I always feel best in a dark blue suit
Rain is one of my favourite sounds
I love finding connections to other people, and never feel self-conscious or out of place, even in a group of strangers. I having a large social circle, but cultivating close friends takes time and trust.
Some of my worst life choices have involved tequila
I will always stand up for myself and get my point across but I loathe arguments, raised voices and drama. I remain permanently unimpressed by people who bring that my way.
I still remember the phone number of the house I grew up in.
I could sit and eat an entire jar of crunchy peanut butter, straight from the jar, licking it off a spoon. I don’t keep peanut butter in the house for this reason.
I'm not a prude, I’m just proper. Certain things have no place being discussed in a public forum.
The way people treat each other generally in society really gets me down.
I find the shocking lack of people who actually listen these days to be pretty depressing.
I used to be a complete pessimist. I wish someone had told me how annoying that was.
Living in London taught me the art of the hustle, how to not stop til you get what you want, how to be unapologetic for wanting greatness
I love those moments where you share a smile or random bit of banter with a stranger.
I'd like to live in Paris for a while. I have no idea what I’d do there, probably just sit in cafes and people watch all day, but I’d love to do it.
I love clothes, style and the art of dressing. I’m not a fan of actually shopping though.
My brothers and I have the kind of relationship where one word can trigger an inside joke that’ll have us laughing for an hour. It’s awesome.
In my line of work, I appreciate my go-with-the-flow attitude. It's not that I don't get stressed, but I don't let stress get to me
I want to try a floatation tank
It's not that I hold grudges exactly, but I do remember a lot of disagreements and hurt feelings