We live in way too interesting times

Whether it's world leaders, customer support teams or Chromebooks, the world is conspiring to make my life interesting in all the wrong ways

- Dick Pountain

Some 26 years ago, back in May 1999, I opened this column thus: "It's said there's an ancient Chinese curse, 'May you live in interesting times!' Actually it's been said by me at least twice before."

Well, it looks time to trot it out for a fourth outing, though nowadays I can check its truth using my old friend ChatGPT: "No record of this phrase (or anything close to it) exists in classical Chinese literature: the earliest known attribution is from British sources in the 20th century, a 1936 speech by Sir Austen Chamberlain (brother of Neville) who claimed to have heard it as a Chinese curse, but it seems more like a Western invention made to sound exotic or wise." So, I've been peddling fake news for a quarter of a century, but I don't feel too guilty as everyone seems to be doing it.