What, Why & How do we Know ?
Just started reading a startlingly different book “The Master and Margarita” by Russian author Mikhail Bulgakov. I’d never heard of him or the book before I picked it up from my mother who is doing a University of the Third Age (U3A) course in Russian Literature. She was given the book by an old maths … Continue reading “Mikhail Bulgakov – The Master and Margarita”
Day job not going so good right now, a little under the weather and dog-tired yesterday, I accidentally deliberately slept in this morning. But, I finished my C J Werleman notes on the tube, stepped out into the sunshine, grabbed a great breakfast at a little cafe I’d not previously noticed between the tube and … Continue reading “Extending the Hand of Friendship @cjwerleman”
This story of several writers pulling out of an event where Hebdo are to be honoured with an award. Quotes Salman Rushdie, and a twitter storm has arisen. Showing that the following are consistently held: Condemn Hebdo murders. Defend Hebdo’s freedom to publish. Celebrate Hebdo’s courage to publish. Criticise Hebdo’s actual publications and motives. As I have done … Continue reading “Twist on Free Speech and Hebdo”
Interesting responses to my critical post of the recent LAAG event below. Defensive and now, sadly, largely ad-hominem. Apparently the number and size of my balls affect the arguments. I’d drafted a couple of yards of replies on Friday afternoon, to the initial handful of comments that day, but the aggressive responses continued over the … Continue reading “Atheist, Rationalist, Secularist and Humanist – What’s in a Name?”
Perhaps not the environment for a constructive conversation – speaker talks for over 40 minutes and individual audience members get to ask a single question – but for me a disappointing evening at LAAG to hear Charlie Klendjian talk on – well – a bag of loosely related topics. A lot of “whataboutness” and Godwin’s law (!) … Continue reading “Charlie Klendjian of the Lawyers Secular Society”
That’s some hiatus, due mainly to travel and work pressures. New York, San Diego, Washington, now Brisbane and next Perth … Out on the streets, in a bar, seeing a band on only one night in the whole – PiL at the Hammerstein NYC. Been reading a lot in travel time – though not as … Continue reading “17 days no post”
Hat tip to David Gurteen for the link. [Post Note Update April 2015 see Charlie Hebdo, see Hebdo Twist, see Freedom Regained.] Been thinking about people like Ricky Gervais and Frankie Boyle, and “rights” concerning insult and offence generally. If you are the court jester and your audience recognizes you as such, then being offensive … Continue reading “Well Said”
A lot of reading recently. I finished and blogged some views of Chris Hitchens – God Is Not Great. [Here][Here][Here] I’m currently very much enjoying Brian Boyd – On the Origin Of Stories. Will blog some initial review in a moment. I also have to read …. Denis Dutton – The Art Instinct, wich refers to the above … Continue reading “Reading Update”
After finishing and blogging posts about Hilary Lawson’s “Closure” and Jared Diamond’s “Collapse”, I realized I’d read a few other books recently that I hadn’t mentioned yet. After reading and enjoying the Booker-of-Bookers, Salman Rushdie’s “Midnight’s Children” a few years ago, I also tried but struggled with his “Haroun and the Sea of Stories”. Recently … Continue reading “Reading Catch-Up”
1 Pride and Prejudice – Jane Austen (X) 2 The Lord of the Rings – JRR Tolkien () 3 Jane Eyre – Charlotte Bronte (/) 4 Harry Potter series – JK Rowling () 5 To Kill a Mockingbird – Harper Lee (X) 6 The Bible – (/) 7 Wuthering Heights – Emily Bronte (/) 8 … Continue reading “Too Much Reading ?”