Our Philosophy
"That discipline, therefore, which corrects the eagerness of worldly passions which fortifies the heart with virtuous principles, which enlightens the mind with useful knowledge, and furnishes to it a matter of enjoyment from within itself, is of more consequence to real felicity than all the provision which was can make out of the goods of fortune."
Hugh Blair On the Proper Estimate of Human Life (from Sermons Edinburgh, 1780)
Things We Like (*= Affliated Link. Shopping with these companies via these links helps finance the Laughing Garreteer)
Groundbreaking Music, Groundbreaking Technology: the Case of Duke Ellington
Does revolutionary music always go hand in hand with revolutionary technology? The experience of the twentieth century would point to that: no rock recordings precede the invention of the electric…
Featured Stories
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Groundbreaking Music, Groundbreaking Technology: the Case of Duke Ellington
Does revolutionary music always go hand in hand with revolutionary technology? The experience of the twentieth century would point to that: no rock recordings precede the invention of the electric…
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Nostalgia and the British: the unwitting triumph of three pioneer railway photographers
It was one of those changes that made the modern world: the arrival, in the middle of the 1890s, of fast photographic emulsions. And the reaction was immediate: the next…
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Writers’ Vital Libraries: The Books You Keep At Your Desk
It’s a matter of personal regret that I don’t keep books at my desk. There isn’t room; not if I want to write. Even the little netbook that comes with…
Latest Articles
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Groundbreaking Music, Groundbreaking Technology: the Case of Duke Ellington
Posted on May 11, 2012 | 2 CommentsDoes revolutionary music always go hand in hand with revolutionary technology? The experience of the twentieth century would point to that: no rock recordings precede the invention of the electric... -
Nostalgia and the British: the unwitting triumph of three pioneer railway photographers
Posted on April 14, 2012 | No CommentsIt was one of those changes that made the modern world: the arrival, in the middle of the 1890s, of fast photographic emulsions. And the reaction was immediate: the next... -
Writers’ Vital Libraries: The Books You Keep At Your Desk
Posted on April 13, 2012 | No CommentsIt’s a matter of personal regret that I don’t keep books at my desk. There isn’t room; not if I want to write. Even the little netbook that comes with... -
Pairing Cheap Wine with Cheap Meals
Posted on April 12, 2012 | 2 CommentsEven with minimum pricing on its way, it’s not out of the question, and anyway, it’s an interesting challenge. Do the lower-priced wines match – can they match – with... -
Garreteer Kitchen: Slow Cooking
Posted on April 10, 2012 | No CommentsWhen you’re living in a small space, or share a kitchen, ideas about how to live and eat well using one appliance are always welcome. Here’s another. The price of... -
The Scent of Home: How to make a bedsit smell like home
Posted on April 9, 2012 | No CommentsOne of the bigger issues around not owning your own place – or owning your own, very small place – is the difficulty of making it into a real home,... -
Painting on Cardboard – or Scrap Wood
Posted on April 8, 2012 | No CommentsOne of the most difficult things an artist on a tight budget experiences is sourcing adequate canvas or watercolour paint to work on. After the essential paints and brushes, canvas... -
Garreteer Cooking: The Minimal Kitchen
Posted on April 7, 2012 | No CommentsI was taught to cook by Italians. In a clapped-out 1970s kitchen, with little more than a couple of battered saucepans, a colander and a small cutting knife, they’d turn... -
Garreteer Clothing: Men: what to economize on, what never to economize on
Posted on April 6, 2012 | 1 CommentIf there’s one advantage to the lingering conservatism of male clothing, especially mens’ clothing for work, it’s that it’s still possible to look extremely well-dressed for a relatively small amount... -
Garreteer Kitchen: Making Your Own Gravy
Posted on April 5, 2012 | No CommentsNot that there’s anything wrong with Bisto, mind: but after a while, getting the lumps out, the excessive saltiness or unsaltedness (depending) of the stuff, the sheer sense of take-out... -
Garreteer Art: The Pinhole Camera
Posted on April 4, 2012 | No CommentsOf course, the advent of digital photography, disposing as it did with the endless cost sink of film and film processing, pretty much created Garreteer photography on its own. That,... -
Garreteer Books: Meditation
Posted on April 3, 2012 | No CommentsIf I was asked to describe how the British saw meditation, I’d reply, “weird relaxation”: the British see it as a suspect means of getting some peace of mind that’s...
Recent Posts
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Fine Arts
Groundbreaking Music, Groundbreaking Technology: the Case of Duke Ellington
2 Comments -
Fine Arts
Nostalgia and the British: the unwitting triumph of three pioneer railway photographers
No Comments -
Fine Arts
Writers’ Vital Libraries: The Books You Keep At Your Desk
No Comments -
Food and Drink
Pairing Cheap Wine with Cheap Meals
2 Comments -
Food and Drink
Garreteer Kitchen: Slow Cooking
No Comments -
Interiors
The Scent of Home: How to make a bedsit smell like home
No Comments -
Fine Arts
Painting on Cardboard – or Scrap Wood
No Comments -
Food and Drink
Garreteer Cooking: The Minimal Kitchen
No Comments -
Money Saving
Garreteer Clothing: Men: what to economize on, what never to economize on
1 Comment -
Food and Drink
Garreteer Kitchen: Making Your Own Gravy
No Comments -
Fine Arts
Garreteer Art: The Pinhole Camera
No Comments -
Psychology
Garreteer Books: Meditation
No Comments