“We are Forerunners. Guardians of all that exists. The roots of the Galaxy have grown deep under our careful tending. Where there is life, the wisdom of our countless generations has saturated the soil. Our strength is a luminous sun, towards which all intelligence blossoms… And the impervious shelter, beneath which it has prospered.”

Friday T&A: Cinnabon Edition

Friday T&A: Cinnabon Edition

In the world of pastries and confectioneries, I am given to understand that there is an entire chain – a global one, actually – of fast food shops that specialise in selling extremely sweet and sugary treats that are designed to make you feel as happy as...
Friday T&A: Down with the Sickness Edition

Friday T&A: Down with the Sickness Edition

This has NOT been a good week for me – hell, it has not been a good YEAR for me, full stop. It all started on December 23rd, when we contracted a gnarly case of food poisoning, via – of all things – a dodgy kebab. So Christmas was not exactly very...
Friday T&A: Agent Natasha Edition

Friday T&A: Agent Natasha Edition

We are barely three days into 2025, and already it is shaping up to be a most consequential and probably crazy year – crazier, if anything, than the past three combined. I certainly hope I am wrong about that. But, given what we have seen since, oh, about early...
The Best of Friday T&A 2024

The Best of Friday T&A 2024

We have successfully killed off another year, and what a bonkers year it was. While poasting for this most beloved series of the site was rather more constrained than I would have liked – due in part to considerable amounts of travel and work that I had in 2024,...
Friday T&A: Final Flight Edition

Friday T&A: Final Flight Edition

Here we are at last, the very last instalment of this much-loved series – for the year of 2024, anyway. Given how difficult it is getting to find natural and attractive talent, even among the Slavic Instathot crowd, one does have to wonder how much longer I can...
Friday T&A: Marking Time Edition

Friday T&A: Marking Time Edition

Just a few more sleeps until Christmas, boys. Assuming Brandon, the now-provably Fake President, does not do something genuinely insane and blow up the entire world before that happens, the best time of the year will soon be upon us. (Do not discount the possibility...
Friday T&A: Black Friday Edition

Friday T&A: Black Friday Edition

Just a quick one for today, lads, as it is extremely late where I am. As you can see, it is Friday the 13th (again). In fact, as I pointed out the last time this rolled around, one of my neighbours (and good friends) was born on this day (though back in March, I...
Friday T&A: Foreign Affairs Edition

Friday T&A: Foreign Affairs Edition

In the wake of the interview with the living legend, Sergei Lavrov, I think it is important for us mere mortals to do our part with the cultural outreach and maintenance of positive international relations with the folks across the New Iron Curtain. It is all part of...
Friday T&A: Shopaholic Edition

Friday T&A: Shopaholic Edition

Well, assuming you survived National Overeating and Football Day – if you are American, that is – you are now no doubt trying to get through the gauntlet of endless sale offers that constitute the irritatingly American phenomenon of “Black...
Friday T&A: Hazel Grove Edition

Friday T&A: Hazel Grove Edition

The last 48 hours have seen the world move in ways that nobody expected at the beginning of the week. The Russians deployed a new weapon that they call “Oreshnik” (Орешник), which translates as “Hazel Grove”, and which is basically an...