Cultural stew
Everything is ranked out of 10 on the Cormyscale. For calibration, unintentionally ordering a red or white pizza is a 0.2 experience on the Cormyscale and winning big on scratchcard is a 9.8.
Pluribus
Vince Gilligan
Apr 2026
Boshed the first two seasons of this on Apple TV over the course of two weeks. Very weird yet interesting premise and great performance from the lead actor. Only drawback is that I find it hard to understand the hive-mind as a character and think that's inevitable because its being played by lots of different actors.
The Secret History
Donna Tartt
May 2026
Very good but ran out of steam like a prop forward trying to run in an interception. First 300 pages were spellbinding and then got a bit weird and self indulgent when we got to the Corcorans house and back to Hampden.
All Hell Let Loose
Max Hastings
Apr 2026
This book was great, although an absolute hog to get through. Full sweep of WW2, combining broad summary of the key events with testimony from memoirs and letters written by normal people. General takeaways - wehrmacht outperformed resources, western allies underperformed theirs (until 1944), the war was decided on the eastern front courtasy of the Soviets and Japanese were brutal in asia and the pacific.
The Pianist
Władysław Szpilman
Reads like a novel rather than a memoir. Absolutely brutal when he's separated from his family at the train station. Read this around the same time as Prophet Song, the latter of which felt a bit like an empty tribute.
The Heart of Darkness
Joseph Conrad
Fairly pessimistic worldview on parade here. Found myself getting bogged down in stretches though due to the unusual style. Anyone is capable of anything is the general idea, and I think I agree.
What Are You Going Through
Sigrid Nunez
Weird book. Feel like it went a bit over my head. Moving in parts, especially as it progresses and the narrator shifts from detached to emotional but didn't quite resonate.
Unintentionally ordering a red or white pizza
They should put any red (no cheese) or white (no tomato sauce) pizzas in a separate part of the menu. I have my night ruined 2 or 3 times a year by accidently ordering one of these things. 2 deciCormys awarded because it allows for a pleasureble tirade.
Winning big on a scratchcard
Winning big is any win which is 10X more than the value of the scratchcard. This feels absolutly fantastic, 2 deciCormys docked because you're likely to hand the winnings straight back to the National Lottery.
Prophet Song
Paul Lynch
Page turner, grim imagining of Ireland under an authoritarian government. Weird style and accelerating pace. There was something not quite resonating with me about the way in which the characters behaved, almost a caricature of Irishness, but a good read overall.
Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?
Phillip K. Dick
This book freaked my nut out as Danny Dyer would put it. Had seen Blade Runner before but found the book much less structured and more thought provoking. The concept of kipple (useless rubbish that builds up to infinity) was a scary thought in the era of runaway AI slop and bots on the internet.
Revolution in Iran
Rest is History
This was one of their better series. I knew nothing about Jimmy Carter before listening and enjoyed how derisive Dominic was of his presidency, some very funny lines in there about his cardigans and miserable addresses to the nation. Gave me a much improved handle on the history of Iran.
Sinners
Ryan Coogler
Feb 2026
Top notch entertainment, I thought Michael B. Jordan was outstanding. Irish vampire, Rocky Road to Dublin and generally a fair few nods to Ireland (although unsure if we are considered oppressors or oppressed). One drawback was the faint marvel style of the closing scenes.
Avatar: Fire and Ash
James Cameron
Absolutely diabolical. At least an hour too long. Saw this in the cinema and actually laughed out loud once or twice when it became apparent that they weren't going to roll the credits and were gearing up for another scene. We've seen enough of these characters, James.
Succession
Jesse Armstrong
Second time watching this through and comfortably into my top 5 shows. Even funnier than I remember, Tom and Greg are the best partnership since Lennon and McCartney. Some fairly dark insights about human nature from Logan and Roman in particular that hit home this time around.
The Pacific
Tom Hanks, Stephen Spielberg
Very, very good. Felt like it narrows in on the mind and soul of the main characters better than Band of Brothers but moves along a little bit worse. Horrendous conditions in the Pacific theatre, the skeleton in the crater sticks in my mind. Would've liked a bit more naval stuff, which was probably more consequential to the war.
Matchday at Charlton Athletic
The Valley, London
Ususally get tickets in the covered end lower. Old school ground with a throwback toxic atmoshpere that can catch fire if we are doing well. Pints are between £7-£8 if you can get one, more likely is that you'll spend all of half time waiting 10 deep in the queue.
Matchday at QPR
Loftus Road, London
Got tickets in the home end to support Charlton, by the time we went 3-1 down I wasn't even bothered with keeping up the act. Decent ground, guy a few seats down was asking for the manager to sub off their keeper for the entire first half until they got a lead which provided some much needed comedic relief.
Anglothai
Marylebone
12 noon res on a Saturday. A time of the week when I'd usually have my sights trained on a humble bacon sangwich, this week it was a 6 course, succulent thai meal. Absolutely incredible. Washed it down with a few beers watching Ireland England in the 6 Nations.
Terry's Cafe
Southwark
May 2026
Upmarket greasy spoon, which in theory sounds bad but in practice feels so good. Billingsgate roll with scallop and bacon is different class, coffee and smoothies good too. Terry's is best enjoyed on a Saturday morning and should be washed down with 4 or 5 lageritas.