Dearest Gentle Reader, Thursday has arrived carrying rather more gravity than one might wish, though it has not entirely forsaken the absurd. A terrorist incident in the Capital, a King who apparently outmanoeuvred a president, and a mysterious statue that appeared overnight beside Florence Nightingale - this Author has questions, and she suspects you do too.

Dearest Gentle Reader, this Wednesday has delivered a king addressing foreign legislators, a government scrambling to avoid a most inconvenient inquiry, and a face cream making promises it had absolutely no business making. This Author has opinions on all of it - and perhaps a raised eyebrow or two to spare.

Dearest Gentle Reader, this Tuesday finds royalty addressing foreign assemblies, landlords weeping over empty coffers, and oil barons quietly toasting a war they did not start. This Author has observations - some grave, some wickedly arch, and one or two that shall require a steadying cup of something strong before you proceed.