WHETHER it’s a brilliant idea that morphs into a failed stroke, or a cock-up that started with the best of intentions, there’s a time to raise the hands and say you got it wrong.

TIM ‘Boomer’ Carroll is a friend of mine. A Boston-Irish firefighter, he is. Don’t ask me what the ‘Boomer’ stands for. Something sporting, probably. Boomer loves Ireland. Starting with its literature.

I’M insulted about not being asked to attend a think-in.

Joan Rivers could get away with being cruel about other people as long as she was harsh about herself, writes Terry Prone.

Terry Prone reflects on our over reliance on technology and why instant messaging does not make us productive.

IF the neighbours weren’t used to it, they’d demand the destruction of my house. It is one of the ugliest buildings in the neighbourhood. In fact, it wins the prize for being ugly, leaky, and disfunctional.

The concept of the “must have” died off a bit during the worst of the recession. The “must have”, back in the days of disposable income, was a dress, pair of shoes or handbag advertised as such, in a catalogue or by a web retailer.

I WANT a mini. A mini car, you’ll be relieved to learn, not skirt. I really want a Mini. I have no chance of achieving a Mini. If the force is with me, I might be able to afford one in four years’ time, but financial constraints don’t stop me looking at that ad of the Minis, falling domino-fashion, and picking out the one I’d like to be driving tomorrow.

I had this client due in for a breakfast meeting the other day. A powerful and important woman, this client, albeit possessed of such physical fragility she looks like she eats a single rusk once a fortnight. She clearly needed building up, so I started to cook breakfast for her.

EVERY week, another report surfaces which establishes that the more time you spend on Facebook or Twitter, the more likely you are to be an unhappy, nail-biting paranoid.