The Last Ditch by Tom Paine

Tom Paine- No explanation needed – inamdar's posterous.

This, courtesy of Posterous (great name!) a communal blog I have never heard of before, is a plaque on the wall of the White Hart in Lewes, Sussex. Next time you think your bar room oratory (or your pamphleteering blogging) is a waste of time, take heart. Tom's debating at the "Headstrong Club" in an obscure provincial town changed the world for the better. Though the future seems dark right now,  there is always hope if we can only stay calm enough to articulate our ideas clearly at the right time. Despite the inscription, old Tom achieved rather more with pen than sword too, which is a cheering thought when age has wearied one's sword arm.

If I seem less grumpy than usual and these thoughts unusually bright, in a spririt of full disclosure I confess it may be a question of microcosm and macrocosm. Mrs P survived a nine-hour operation yesterday and (though she has much recuperating to do) is much on form today. After so much stress, no let's be honest, fear, to see her smile and crack a joke has put me in my best mood for a while. So don't go starting any revolutions solely on the basis of my optimism, ok? Get some other opinions first.