RSS Parrot

Something Familiar

https://rick-morton.ghost.io/something-familiar/

Published: August 7, 2026 23:04

A few months ago my brother Toby went back to prison for the first time since his inaugural stint circa 2010. I was in Paris at the time and Mum was left to figure out what was happening and why, though we never really got any answers and, to be

Australia, For Now

https://rick-morton.ghost.io/for-now/

Published: August 1, 2026 01:10

The final weeks of July were among the hardest of my life, emotionally speaking. It's all very boring and I only write it here to explain that I have had nothing else to think or write about on account of how all-consuming that fortnight was. Apologies. It

Vélo Encyclical

https://rick-morton.ghost.io/velo-encyclical/

Published: July 8, 2026 08:32

On the first full day of our beach holiday at Andernos-les-Bains, west of Bordeaux and some 630km southwest of Paris, the non-bike faring people among our number hired some cycles and joined the committed velo lifers on a trek out of town. The day was…

Canic! At the Disco

https://rick-morton.ghost.io/canic-at-the-disco/

Published: June 27, 2026 09:16

Each year, on the summer solstice, Paris and most of France becomes what is essentially the world's largest outdoor party for Fête de la Musique.Bistros, restaurants, cafes and sundry businesses saturate the air with live music, DJs, bands, drummers and…

525,600 Minutes

https://rick-morton.ghost.io/525-600-minutes/

Published: June 12, 2026 07:46

When the writer and humourist David Rakoff died in 2012 at the age of 47, This American Life ran a previously unaired reading he had done for show about the hit musical Rent. It remains one of the funniest things I have ever heard. The characters are…

Goodbye Jack

https://rick-morton.ghost.io/goodbye-jack/

Published: June 4, 2026 07:40

Much has happened and I have been very unwell. I think, perhaps, I've been having one of my all-time nervous breakdowns. But in Paris, which is a vibe. This has been going on for a while but has been particularly acute over the last few weeks. I have

Immoral Rearmament

https://rick-morton.ghost.io/immoral-rearmament/

Published: May 6, 2026 20:16

That terminated Department of Home Affairs secretary Michael Pezzullo thirsts for war quite as desperately as he does is confusing for, however much he fancies himself the master of whispers and strategy, the disgraced public servant has neither the…

Thirst du Soleil

https://rick-morton.ghost.io/thirst-du-soleil/

Published: April 20, 2026 21:39

Spring, naturally, has some false starts.In the middle-ish northern hemisphere, I'm learning, these are many. There have been some sunny days in Paris since March, even some relatively warm ones, but on the whole the weeks have been cool and gray, like an…

NACC for Misunderstanding

https://rick-morton.ghost.io/nacc-for-misunderstanding/

Published: March 25, 2026 19:46

At a tiny natural wine bar in Bologna, a French couple from Paris walked in while I was sat at the counter and struck up a conversation with the Italian server. 'I hate Paris,' he said with a big smile, 'because every time I go there my

I Quit My Job

https://rick-morton.ghost.io/i-quit-my-job/

Published: March 10, 2026 20:59

A couple of weeks ago now I resigned from The Saturday Paper, a decision I've felt coming for some time but had resisted for about as long. I'm unsure what to say about it other than to make the observation that it can take me many