writing – Page 21 – EXCUSES AND HALF TRUTHS

The Cut Season 3 Episode 14

This time last week we had a staff day out to the seaside and ate a chippy lunch on the pier at Bognor Regis in our shirtsleeves. Now we’re wrapped up in thermal underwear, watching the snow fall.

The weather may not be predictable, but at least you can count on your pals at The Cut for something juicy to snuggle up to in front of a blazing fire (as no-one can afford to run the central heating any more).

This week–putting bad mojo on Hitler, the unexpected beauty of slime moulds and what to do if you’re trapped in a cabin with Lord Byron.

Now is the time. Here is the place. This is The Cut.

The Cut Season 3 Episode 13

The plan to lose readers last week worked well. A little too well. Boy howdy. If we could reverse-engineer the slide in views and fire up a mirror version we’d be in clover for sure. Hey ho, be careful what you wish for. Hope we didn’t honk you all off too much, Readership.

This week: more of the usual. Comics heavy. We may be about to shed another tranche of casual readers. ONLY THE STRONG SURVIVE.

Now is the time. Here is the place. This is The Cut.

The Cut Season 3 Episode 12

At this point, we’d almost welcome a new variant of Covid, just to quiet things down a bit.

Kidding. Honest.

This week, we go all out to lose ourselves some readers.

Now is the time. Here is the place. This is The Cut.

The Cut Season 3 Episode 11

This issue of The Cut is dedicated to Glen Dinning and the good people behind Blue Collar Corner, which opens in Reading today. It’s a street food and open-air bar venue which has grown from a single event to one of Dingtown’s most exciting ventures. Gods know, we need something to celebrate. Best of luck, folks! We’ll be down to see you soon.

Meanwhile, this week’s roster includes the lies of Robert Pattinson, long songs and the smallest coffee shop in London.

Now is the time. Here is the place. This is The Cut.

The Cut Season 3 Episode 10

Yeah. We know. Come on in. The kettle’s on. We have biscuits. The good kind. The Aldi kind with the chocolate on.

Now is the time. Here is the place. This is The Cut.

The Cut Season 3 Episode 9

Ok, look, we know it’s a shitstorm out there. We offer no commentary apart from the obvious position: we stand with Ukraine. Otherwise, we’ll do what we always do—try to offer a quiet, silly place for a bit of a breather from, you know, *gestures at everything* this. Hope we can help.

This week—Lego birds, dive bars and DJ booths.

Now is the time. Here is the place. This is The Cut.

The Cut Season 3 Episode 8

Lots to talk about this week, so let’s crack on with it. In lieu of the usual strained folderol, here’s a quote, the meaning of which will become clearer as this week’s episode unfurls.

“Excellence in the great things is built upon excellence in the small.”
John Updike

Now is the time. Here is the place. This is The Cut.

The Cut Season 3 Episode 7

Plans are afoot. Savings, so carefully squirreled away in the quiet years behind us, are about to be counted out and handed over. Changes to Cut Central have been ordered and will be complete by the summer. We’ve been thinking about this work for over a decade. Now, suddenly, it’s really happening. Nothing for you to worry about, Readership. The smooth sailing of this operation will be unhindered by upcoming upheavals. But we’re excited in a gentle middle-class suburban way about the improvements. Let’s hope it’s a tiny precursor of better times ahead (although we appreciate the brass neck in allowing domestic building work at our gaff to stand as a metaphor for hope in the face of a wildly uncertain global future).

This week: quiet places, playing at government and an actual plug for actual Excuses And Half Truths product.

Now is the time. Here is the place. This is The Cut.

(The feature image was generated by WomboDream with the prompt ‘Further Excuses’. Another fun web toy to play with if you haven’t already.)

The Cut Season 3 Episode 6

A twelfth of the way through the year. Did you Veganuary? Dryanuary? Tryanuary? Or, like the Cut Crew, did you decide that the dark doldrums days of the new year are no time to be mucking about with fads you’ll start half-heartedly before abandoning two weeks in? We hope one habit you’ve kept up is your weekly fix of linkeration with us. If you enjoy it, why not tell a friend? That’s a resolution we can happily agree with.

This week: The Archies, the greatest film review ever and the Ninth Art Desk goes for a full takeover.

Now is the time. Here is the place. This is The Cut.

The Cut Season 3 Episode 5

It’s kind of difficult to try and sum up a week when everything is happening all at once and it’s only (checks watch) teatime on Thursday. Let us offer you a refuge from the madness. Fair warning, though, there’s a little bit of economics and politics in amongst the usual cruft and hoohah. We’ll try not to make a habit of it, honest.

Now is the time. Here is the place. This is The Cut.