Medieval historian. 'If it works for Marc Morris @Longshanks1307, it works for me.' (Scarlett Johansson)
Feb 7, 2020 • 8 tweets • 2 min read
This morning I'm in Glastonbury. In 1086 its abbey was the richest in England. In 1539 it was dissolved by that notorious royal shit, Henry VIII.
The ancient Saxon minster burned down in 1184, and was rebuilt as a Lady Chapel, now the most substantial surviving part of the church.
Apr 12, 2019 • 11 tweets • 2 min read
So I just re-watched the classic Simpsons episode ‘Bart Gets An Elephant’. It is 25 years old, but a parable for our times. [thread]
Bart wins a radio station phone-in and is given a binary choice: $10,000 in cash or a full grown African elephant.
Bart chooses the elephant.
The radio people are shocked. No one was supposed to pick the elephant. There is no elephant.
So they try to negotiate (‘We think we know how your mind works, Bart’) and offer other alternatives which are equally stupid, but less costly and destructive.
