Category: Uncategorized
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Things have never been this good in human history
Yep. I mean it. Apologies if you were expecting this to be a wry and unoriginal joke. We – the human race – have never had it so good. There’s plenty of evidence for this. The chances of the average global citizen, born today, dying from violent causes are the lowest in human history. Wars…
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Science and religion do not get along
I’ve frequently heard and read the opinion that science and religion are compatible – after all there are plenty of religious scientists, and, anyway, isn’t belief in religion ultimately the same as belief in science? I’ve concluded that they’re not compatible – neither fundamentally nor conceptually. I think when people argue for compatibility they are…
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‘Fire Island’ on its travels
I shot a short drama film last October on Fire Island – unfortunately I didn’t get back to the island this year (probably because I’ve been recovering from concussion for the past seven months). The film is now out being pitched on the (rather expensive) film festival circuit. I suspect – as with pitching for…
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Concussion thoughts
I was going to say I have become an expert in concussion – but that would be stretching it a bit. But if you get a concussion, and it involves being off work for nine months, you do get more interested. How the hell did it happen? The short answer is I don’t know. I…
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Islam or anti-Islam?
Debate on Islam/Islamophobia. I hope to contribute to a constructive, but maybe difficult conversation. This is following on from several conversation with a friend Bennett Beanit. Also see link to debate on HuffPost below. My thoughts: Dear Bennett Thanks again for sharing the video – it’s prompted me to put down my thoughts on this…
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AIDS – the eerie ghost behind Conrad’s Heart of Darkness
This is simply an eerie coincidence – but it’s a coincidence I can’t help reflecting on and feeling. Here’s the coincidence: Joseph Conrad travelled up the Congo river by steamship in the early 1890s to pick up a sick employee (with the company Conrad worked for) who died during the return trip. He based Heart…
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Tom Wolfe – Back to Blood – is he right that status rules human behaviour?
Let me start these thoughts by saying that there have been few times when reading a novel that I have been so excited, so dazzled, so full of amazed awe as when I started reading “Bonfire of the Vanities.” Here was something that was extraordinarily alive, fascinating, penetrating, deadly accurate, humorous, dynamic etc etc. I…
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Is “Homeland” stoking anti-Islamic prejudice?
Updated comment on beginning of third series: Homeland – watched first episode of the third series – it’s free online. While I enjoyed it – it’s well acted, and is dramatic – the continuing emphasis of the series disturbs me. I’ll preface this by saying I am all in favour of a drama series…
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The Swiss painter and death
I’ve been very struck by the paintings of Ferdinand Hodler – a famous Swiss painter. Died 1918. Lived part of his life in Geneva. Two things. Incredible landscapes – the use of colour brings me back to look at them again and again – simple views of the lakes, mountains and clouds around Geneva. The…
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West Bank thoughts
I’d been to the West Bank – over 30 years ago, yikes! – as a volunteer teaching English to Palestinian students in Bethlehem. Remember being terrified of teaching for the first time, making up the rules of English grammar as I went along (was teaching trainee teachers, who were mostly kind, but sometimes justifiably sceptical).…
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