Such gratuitous shots being taken. Harumph!

I think we should introduce a new phenomenon called "niall-envy," which my compatriot is unfortunately ill with. Pity of War was lovely and Empire was a fit follow-up. Ferguson is such an effective contrarian I would have thought my comrade-in-blog would smile and nod, but the Oxford inside knowledge he has colours his view.

And that Reason article (for all its libertarian looniness) made a solid point in the growing complexity of evil as seen in the later Potter volumes, a point actually made by Sir Albert while sitting in the passenger seat of my auto rather recently. Are those Cool Ranch or Original Doritos between your teeth?