The Daily Dealings of a Merchant Commentary

[Merchant of Venice]

Wow, they wrote a letter! They even went to impressive lengths to improve your holidays

It's good to hear that one person is enjoying the blog or at least tolerating it enough to comment and fake enjoying it!

And did you just say you're going to Italy and Paris next year! Damn I wish I was you. Is there perhaps room in your suitcase for a stowaway merchant???

[Alwyn]

Your call from the heart for solidarity in response to a horrific terrorist attack reminded me of the last image in this BBC news report, of One World Trade Center in New York lit up in the colours of the French flag - in solidarity. Bravo, Merchant

[Merchant of Venice]

Similar things like that happened here in Australia as well, with landmarks such as the Sydney Opera House having its sails lit with the colours of the French flag as well as smaller landmarks. The town halls of both Sydney and Melbourne followed suit as well. And the parallels with the French reaction to 9/11 and the World Trade Centre lighting up give me some hope that we, as a race, aren't as divided as made out.

Also are you enjoying the blog a bit?

[Alwyn]

I saw a picture of the Sydney Opera House lit up in red, white and blue and it reminded me of your comment about solidarity in your blog. I didn't know about the town halls being lit up as well - that's a touching tribute to the people who have lost loved ones in Paris.

Yes, your blog is a bright spark of warmth, even on the greyest and dampest of days. I haven't seen the TV series Vikings or the version of Macbeth which you mentioned (I'll look out for them; I'm currently enjoying the British TV adaptation of Bernard Cornwell's The Last Kingdom). I like the story of the kid with the Prehistoric Channel and the parallel you drew with our writing on TWC. I enjoy reading about your travels and you thinking on current issues; I agree with your concerns about consumerism and the ideal of sharing more is attractive - perhaps the way that writers help each other here and modders provide, for free, the products of their work on TWC reflect similar values. Your thoughts on Paris come across as genuine and thoughtful - you express grief, frustration and anger without letting them dictate your response. Your thinking on solidarity seems to be echoed in cities around the world, as they light up their principal landmarks in the colours of the French flag.