Last year, I found an entertaining blog with the intriguing title of Granny Gets A Vibrator. Just as I became hooked on the writings of Liz, her blog disappeared. But now, thanks to Trudi, I learn that Liz is back and blogging once again. Hooray!
Category: Society
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No Guarantee
While I might wish it otherwise, being gay is of itself no guarantee of being rational and wise. Here’s ample proof: the Education Minister of the German state of Hesse has recently come out both as a lesbian, and for the teaching of creationism in school biology lessons. Duh. -
Breaking The Spell
Dan Dennett recently did an interview on Danish TV to talk about the ideas in his book Breaking The Spell. The interview has inevitably been put up on YouTube. Part 1 is here.If you haven’t read the book, Dennett does a good job of covering the contents in a straightforward and relaxed manner, it’s worth watching.Part 2:Part 3: -
Being Broke
I’ve been reading the One Good Thing blog for some time now, and occasionally drawing your attention to entries that seem to me to be especially relevant to life.I thought that I had Flea’s blog on my blogroll, but I’ve just discovered that I was mistaken. I’ve now corrected that oversight, and by way of penance, I implore you to go and read Broke, Part I and Broke, Part II. You won’t regret it. -
Our Brave Police
Sometimes, following the rulebook can be a good thing. Sometimes it can kill.We’ve just had a bizarre incident here in the Netherlands, in Pernis, a town near Rotterdam. Apparently, two idiots were so taken with the schlock-horror film Hostel 2 that they decided to try torturing a third person to death, imitating a scene from the film. Neighbours heard the screams and called the police. Instead of entering the premises, the two policemen who arrived (and who were armed) hung around outside for 20-25 minutes and listened to the continuing screams of the victim. Apparently, they thought he was a hostage, and the rulebook says that you have to call for backup in such cases.By the time the backup arrived, it was too late, the victim had been mortally wounded and died shortly afterwards.Seems to me that someone made an error of judgement here, and a man died as a result. However, the Public Prosecutor’s Office says it sees no reason to order an investigation into the incident. Er, hello? -
Incompetent Clowns
The shrill reporting by much of the British media over the attempted acts of terrorism in the UK last weekend is beginning to bring on a Victor Meldrew moment in me. Luckily, Lewis Page, writing in The Register, provides a countering voice. It struck me as an odd place to find his piece (The Register reports on IT matters in a manner that reminds me of the satirical magazine Private Eye), but then I discover that Mr. Page has been a bomb disposal expert in the past. So I assume that he knows whereof he writes. -
It’s The Stupid Theologians
Of course, one of the issues about interpreting theology is that sometimes the interpreters give every indication that they are at least sixpence short of the full shilling. Here’s some senior Church of England bishops who appear to think that us gays are to blame for the flooding in the north of England. Sigh. -
It’s The Theology, Stupid
Yesterday, the Observer carried an interesting opinion piece by Hassan Butt, calling on his fellow Muslims to renounce terror. Butt was, until recently, a member of radical group Al-Muhajiroun, raising funds for extremists and calling for attacks on British citizens. He appears to have had a change of heart.What I found most interesting about his piece was that he downplays the role of Britain’s involvement in the Iraq war as a major factor in the radicalisation of young British Muslims. In effect, he says it’s the theology, stupid. That seems to be to be the crux of it. Yes, Iraq has been, and continues to be, a disaster, but until we manage to focus on the real wellsprings of power – the theology itself and the life-destroying interpretations of it that currently hold sway – little progress will be made. Rachel picks up on this theme over at her blog. -
Fun With Statistics
Hans Rosling is very good at showing statistics about societies. And he’s got a rather stunning party trick. Watch this video – right to the end.(hat tip to TED Blog) -
Your Signature
Your signature is more powerful than you think – an award-winning advert for Amnesty International(hat tip to Houtlust) -
Clever Micah
PZ Myers draws our attention to Micah, a dog who is either a mathematical genius or whose owners are deluding themselves. My money is on the latter. As PZ says, they’ve clearly never heard of Clever Hans.No, wait! This is obviously clear evidence of reincarnation… Hans has been reborn as Micah! How could we have been so blind? -
God Hates The World
A cheery little ditty from those wonderful folks at the Westboro Baptist Church. The von Trapp family, they ain’t. Delusion in action, and a clear demonstration of the "enclave" theory of Mary Douglas. The saddest thing is the short solo from a little girl right at the end of this. It breaks the heart.Oh, apparently our Shirley has an illegitimate child. Funny how that’s OK for her, but would be a one way trip to Hell for anyone else. -
Out Of The Dark
On the eve of the 40th anniversary since the UK decriminalised homosexuality, there a good article in today’s Observer about the times as they were then, and how, step by small step, things have changed. Worth reading. -
Licence Reminder
For failing to obtain a licence, a respected biologist, Marc van Roosmalen, faces 14 years in prison. I smell something fishy about this. One wonders whether vested interests of those who are involved in clearing the Amazonian rainforest may have something to do with it.A rather sad irony is that van Roosmalen, who was born Dutch, took Brazilian citizenship in 1996. That means that the Dutch government no longer have any power to intervene in his case. -
Children See, Children Do
An excellent advert from Australia. I’ve often thought that it is too easy for people to become parents. -
Not Giving An Inch
I must admit I’m currently enjoying the current round of interviews that Christopher Hitchins is giving to publicise his latest book: God Is Not Great. He gives no quarter whatsoever in his verbal swordplay.The latest that I’ve heard is the interview he gave on Simon Mayo’s BBC radio show last Monday. You can still listen to it or download the podcast for another day or two from here (choose the Monday tab). My favourite bit:Mayo: Do you think that you would win more converts to atheism if you were less dismissive of religious…Hitchens: I have no idea, but I can’t be other than dismissive. I hear someone like that sheep-faced loon from Blandford Forum [the Reverend Tim something-or-other… a previous caller] I have to say it sounds like bleating to me, and I remember why you people call yourselves a flock. Yep. Be like a sheep yourself if you must, but please leave me out of it. I’m not a sheep and I don’t need a shepherd and what shepherds do when they’re not actually messing around with their sheep is they’re keeping them around and alive so they can be fleeced and then killed. And yes, hearing these bleatings from the church of England does remind me of that and I don’t feel any need to make converts by not saying what I think. I leave it to them to make their hypocritical, unctuous, pseudo-friendly statements in the hope of keeping people inside the church. -
The Last Straw
Oh gawd, now Jack Straw spouts nonsense over the Rushdie affair. Will this flood of unspeak never end? Ophelia, once again, goes into battle. -
Language, Language
The unspeak being used in the reporting of reactions to Rushdie’s knighthood rolls on. It’s like being in a game of Whack-A-Mole. Ophelia is doing her best, but I sense that she is beginning to lose patience. Can’t say I blame her. Here are the latest three examples (I’m linking straight to Ophelia so that you can see the unspeak in the originals being exposed immediately):Inayat Bungawala in The Guardian. This latest piece by Bungawala is particularly disingenous. He expects us to fall to our knees in gratitude over the fact that he has renounced book-burning, while carefully skirting the issue of not explicitly renouncing the calls to murder Rushdie. What a piece of work he is. -
Billboards At The Towers Of Silence
Mr Eugenides has the details of a sad tale that is developing around the Towers of Silence. Go and read it and marvel at the interconnectedness of life (and advertising).
Geoff Coupe's Blog 