For those of us who are either fascinated, or alternatively scared shitless, by developments in technology that seek to augment our cognitive capabilities – have I got a link for you…
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Get Unhooked
A great anti-smoking campaign. I wish that my nearest and dearest would get unhooked.Leave a comment
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The Secret Life of Brian
I see that someone has added the Channel4 documentary about the circumstances around the making of The Life of Brian to YouTube. Perhaps it is in contravention of copyright, but this is an excellent documentary about the ongoing tussle between free speech and causing offence, and I for one, am glad to see it reaching a potentially wider audience.I am pleased to see that the documentary has extracts of a famous (at the time) discussion between John Cleese and Michael Palin (representing the forces of comedy) and the Bishop of Stockwood and Malcolm Muggeridge (representing the forces of Christians against blasphemy).Mervyn Stockwood represents the sort of secretive homosexual that I am grateful never to have been; that final comment in the interview about the Python team having received their thirty pieces of silver is truly beyond contempt. And I well recall the one occasion that I was in the physical presence of Mr. Muggeridge. It was when the Festival of Light (organised by the National Viewers and Listeners Association) was at its peak in the 1970s, and it had a public meeting in Bournemouth starring Mary Whitehouse and St. Mugg. I went along to hear what they had to say. What I heard disgusted me about the organisers and people such as Muggeridge involved in that eruption of hate speech. I felt physically sick at being in a large hall and listening to the baying of people led on by the platform speakers who had no compunction about uttering slander and lies. Even now, at a distance of thirty years, it disgusts me. And these were so-called Christians.Leave a comment
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Choosing the Moment
I’m a believer in free speech and so forth, but sometimes I find myself having a sharp intake of breath. This morning, for example. I was reading yesterday’s Volkskrant (one of the Dutch broadsheet newspapers) over breakfast. I leafed through the magazine, and was suddenly confronted with a selection of images taken by a police forensics photographer during the course of his 30-year career.The images (both black and white and colour) showed a series of bodies at the scene of their deaths, either by crime or suicide. I found the images shocking and unbearable to look at. I suppose part of it was that I was unprepared to see them.The reason for the article is that there is an exhibition of the photographs opening in Amsterdam. And while I have no objection to the exhibition as such – after all, the images are of real events taken by a photographer in the course of his job – I do question the judgement of the editors in reproducing some of them in a colour supplement delivered to thousands of homes without warning. After that sudden intake of breath, I chose to skip the article and continue with breakfast, but the images that I saw remain. I can choose for myself whether to go to the exhibition, or buy the coffee-table book, just as you can choose whether you want to watch the video report (Bloedige tafelren op de foto) on the Volkskrant web site. I suppose what I am objecting to here is the removal, by the editors, of that ability to choose the moment, and the opportunity to prepare myself for the experience.Leave a comment
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Tsujigiri
Wandering down the byways of the Internet, one comes across some interesting terms, and reminders of history…Leave a comment
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Highs and Lows
Two articles in today’s Guardian illustrate the highs and lows of the quality of their opinion pieces. The high is Terry Jones’ blackly humorous piece on the cost of the war in Iraq. The low is a shrill piece by Tobias Jones (no relation, I hope) on the mythical beasts called the secular fundamentalists.Leave a comment
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Steam-Powered Spacecraft
BBC News reports on the recent successful launch trial of the experimental vehicle designed and built by Blue Origin, the private spacecraft company owned by billionaire Jeff Bezos.The report says:Called Goddard, the retro-looking development vehicle is shown standing on four legs before blasting off in a cloud of smoke from thrusters on its base. The vehicle continues to ascend for approximately 10 seconds, reaching a height of nearly 300ft (90m).Well, looking at the videos on the Blue Origin web site, I don’t think it’s smoke at all. It looks more like ground dust to me. The interesting thing is that there really doesn’t seem to be any evidence of flame from the craft’s thrusters.All of which has led some people to speculate that the propulsion system is using hydrogen peroxide (hair bleach!). The hydrogen peroxide reaction produces simply oxygen and water, which at the high temperature involved, is in the form of steam.Leave a comment
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A Sense of Perspective
A short animation that compares the size of planets and stars. I hadn’t appreciated before just how big Betelgeuse is, and it’s not the biggest star that we know of…Leave a comment
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Silent Star Wars
This is almost as good as the original three films, and has the additional advantage that it takes but a fraction of the time.Leave a comment
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The Coin Has Two Sides
I see that the appalling Mr. Gibson has released his latest film: Apocalypto. And like his last film, it’s not one that I have any intention of seeing. Scenes of unremitting violence do not excite me.However, unlike his last film, Apocalypto has found favour with the film critics. Take this review by Peter Bradshaw for example. Sample:If people have got it in for Mel Gibson, he has only himself to blame. His behaviour has been repulsive. Everyone is prejudiced against his films. I am prejudiced against his films. So the sentence following this is going to take me quite some time to write, because between every keystroke, there will be a three-minute pause while I clench my fists up to my temples and emit a long growl of resentment and rage.Mel Gibson’s Apocalypto is pathologically brilliant. It is bizarre, stomach-turningly violent and frequently inspired.…My view is that for all the director’s personal obnoxiousness, the truth is that his mad and virile film makes everything else around look pretty feeble. This is an extraordinary cinematic journey upriver: a worryingly potent Mr Kurtz is sitting in the director’s chair.And that is pretty much the point. Richard Wagner, as a human being, was a complete and utter shit. But he did give us the Ring cycle. It looks like Mr. Gibson is heading in a similar direction. I still don’t think I want to follow his art, though.Leave a comment
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A New Forum
Inayat Bungawala waxes ecstatic over the fact that a new online forum to discuss Islamic issues has been set up. "An opportunity to exchange views online with senior religious figures in Saudi Arabia ought not to be missed" as the byline to the Guardian article has it.Oh goody. Here’s a question for you: Where in the Qur’ân and Sunnah does it tell us that homosexuality is unlawful?Although I note that homosexuality was misspelled as homoseuality on the site – a simple oversight probably, and unfamiliarity with English perhaps, or the inability to get good typists these days. Anyway, it’s good to know that the answer comes from the Fatwa Department Research Committee – chaired by Sheikh `Abd al-Wahhâb al-Turayrî. And I’m sure he’s a lovely man. So, what do they say?Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) made it clear that homosexuality is a sin and specified the punishment for the deed: “Whomever you find doing the act of Lût’s nation, then kill both parties.” [Sunan al-Tirmidhî]Here, our Prophet (peace be upon him) clearly states that the punishment for this sin is death.Ah, I see. You do realise Inayat, that this does rather put a strain on my ability to have any sort of meaningful dialogue with your friends at the Islamtoday web site? Not that, I suspect, you give a damn about that. Anyway, moving on, let us return to the rest of the answer:Even if none of this evidence were available, homosexuality would still be forbidden, simply because Islam expressly forbids any sexual contact out of marriage.Oh, well, that’s clear then. But hang on, I am married. To a man. So homosexuality is OK then as long as it is within marriage?Allah, in the Qur’ân, also strictly defines whom we can marry. Allah states for the man all the women that he is prohibited to marry and then says that others are permissible, while continuing to refer to those with whom it is lawful by the feminine gender. Therefore, men are restricted to marrying women and women are restricted to marrying men.Bugger. I should just go and kill myself now. No, I’ve got a better idea, Inayat. You can take your Islamtoday web site and stuff it where the sun don’t shine. It has nothing to do with humanity, but everything to do with superstitious nonsense.5 responses to “A New Forum”
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Arab men (straight, married, whatever) are willing to put it in whatever orifice is willing to take it, and make little discrimination. It’s not gay sex that is forbidden in Islam. It’s getting caught.
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Coboró, I think you’re right. But the sanction does seem a trifle excessive. There is, after all The Delight of Hearts, compiled by Ahmad al-Tifashi (1184-1253) – an anthology of stories, anecdotes and poems from the Arab Middle Ages. Included are such chapters as "Homosexuals and their activities"; "Interesting stories concerning young hustlers"; "Queens and their ways". And then there’s the old Turkish proverb: "A woman for duty, a boy for pleasure, but a melon for ecstasy"…
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Having had the woman and the boy, I must try the melon.
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Unchilled.
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Oo-er! Yes, I think being warm to the touch is probably best, don’t you?
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The Enchanted Office
Yes, well, as a rule I don’t like this sort of thing. But I have to confess that the cry of "Oh my god, they killed Clippy" in episode 6 did raise a smile… It couldn’t have happened to a nicer fellow…Leave a comment
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Learn Mandarin
Stephen Walli, a colleague from the days when I used to represent the company I worked for in IT standards organisations, has a most interesting post on his blog. It contains his reflections on his recent visit to China. Bottom line, learn Mandarin now.He’s probably right, although I suspect that my capacity to learn Mandarin has long since gone. But perhaps I should re-read Lucian W. Pye’s slim volume: Chinese Negotiating Style – Commercial Approaches and Cultural Principles. I see that Amazon.co.uk is currently offering it at the princely sum of 50 quid. Clearly, market forces are starting to bite. I’m glad I got my copy long before the Chinese economic boom started to get serious.Leave a comment
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The Gentlemen of the Press…
… and I use the term "gentlemen" with the utmost irony. While, clearly, some journalists and newspaper staff have high moral principles, some, equally clearly, do not.Leave a comment
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The Dog That Didn’t Bark
I see that Sense About Science has been rapping the knuckles of celebrities for talking pseudoscience instead of science fact. They’ve produced a nice little leaflet about the tendency of celebrities to talk twaddle.I’m disappointed though that the leaflet doesn’t mention the celebrity who has a solid gold track record of talking twaddle in this area. Who else but Prince Charles? His support for homeopathy and similar "alternative" medicines is shameful. And what a prime example of Unspeak that disgusting phrase "alternative medicine" is…5 responses to “The Dog That Didn’t Bark”
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Hey, sorry to interrupt. But would you please explain for me what does "the dog that didn’t bark" mean, esp in the sentense Dual Nationality: Threat to National Identity, or Harbinger of a Better World?-Or, the Dog that Didn’t Bark and the Dog that Did.?
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Tann, just Google the phrase. It comes from a Sherlock Holmes story. It means that what is not said is sometimes more important and contingent than what is said…
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Tann, further to the previous comment. I can’t find the text of what Nathan Glazer wrote in "Dual Nationality: Threat to National Identity, or Harbinger of a Better World", and therefore I can’t give you my view on what I think Glazer means when he uses these phrases.
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Wow, thanks for your reply. It’s very helpful:)
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Wow, thanks for your reply. It’s very helpful:)
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Another Poll
I see that there’s been another poll of 1,000 US citizens asking about some of their beliefs. Apparently, according to the news story, 250 of them anticipate that the second coming of Jesus Christ will occur this year. There must be some mistake, surely? 25% of US citizens can’t be this deluded?I do hope that it’s a case of misreporting. There’s no sign of the poll as yet on the Ipsos web site, but I’ll keep an eye out for it to check the facts for myself…Leave a comment
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Sharing Folders
Mike Torres, over at Torres Talking, points out how useful the Sharing Folders feature in Windows Live Messenger can be for sharing high-resolution photos with your online contacts. Hmm, looks useful indeed. I must try it out and swap some photos with my brother.Leave a comment
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World’s Biggest Book
Bhutan purports to be the world’s biggest book. Weighing in at 150 pounds (nearly 70 Kg.) and measuring 5 x 7 feet (1.5 x 2.1 m), I can well believe it. At $15,000 a copy, it’s not one that I’ll be rushing out to purchase, either. Besides, I’ve got nowhere to put it. Even the little big book of Bhutan is pricey at $100 a pop.(hat tip to Bibliodyssey for the link)Leave a comment
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A Pageant for Modern Times
Now this is a modern version of a nativity play that I’d really like to see: A Very Merry Unauthorized Children’s Scientology Pageant. Described as:A large ensemble cast of 8-12 year-old children tells the story of L. Ron Hubbard’s meteoric rise from struggling science fiction writer to supreme leader of a (highly-profitable) New Age religious empire.Reminds me of the old joke: Q: what’s the difference between a cult and a religion? A: usually about 2,000 years.(hat tip to David Byrne for the link)Leave a comment
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