Spring has arrived, and I have had to do my first serious piece of gardening this year (cutting the grass a fortnight ago doesn't count). After accidentally catching the end of Gardener's World on Friday night, I felt obliged to follow Monty Don's advice and have a go at the buddleia, which is now a third of its previous height. With luck, this will mean that its flowers will be 5-6 feet off the ground instead of the more usual 12.
Voluntary gardening might suggest the imminent onset of middle-age, but I still have (most of) my hair, all of my own teeth and my waist does not yet conceal my feet, so I don't think I have too much to worry about yet. On the other hand, blogging about gardening is almost terminally boring, so maybe a mid-life crisis is closer than I thought.
Thursday, March 29, 2007
Market Stalls
There was a chap on Covent Garden Market yesterday afternoon selling wooden neckties. Woodworm is now a serious problem for clothes, but at least we don't have to worry about moths.
The Dangers of Moderate Religion
Richard Dawkins has posted an article (link) on his website that points out a few of the absurdities of religious belief and neatly explains why science and religion are not, and cannot, converge.
I continue to be surprised that our supposedly secular Government continues to pander to the outrageous expectations of the religious minority (which is tiny, maybe 8% of the population). In what ways do they exhibit their tendency to afford religion unjustified respect?
- Sunday opening hours; it is most annoying to find that the shop you wish to visit is not allowed to open on the "Sabbath". There is no justification for this restriction.
- Bishops in the House of Lords; not surprisingly, the other religions are campaigning for equal access to the House of Lords, where the Church of England has 26 bishops. I fully equality in this area - let us rid the House of all religious representatives, thus delivering a simple, easily defined and understood equality.
- Discrimination; as exhibited during the recent arguments over gay adoption, the religious establishment wants to be able to discriminate against some members of society, using as their basis for this the irrational dictats found in a bronze-age magic book. This is simply not acceptable and must not be allowed.
- "Faith" schools; there is no justification for allowing "Faith" to be taught in schools and there is certainly no need for our taxes to help fund the indoctrination and sectarian separation of our children. If the churches wish to fund their own schools then they should be able to (as long as they stick to the secular National Curriculum) but it is not the place of Government to fund this unpleasant behaviour.
If this sounds harsh, ask yourself "why should religious groups be treated differently to other social groups?" We can quickly see that there is no real reason for awarding special rights to religious groups (although we should continue to protect believers from persecution - nobody would want a return to the religiously inspired atrocities of the 16th and 17th centuries) and that the creation of such rights simply divides society, encouraging sectarian differences that would otherwise not exist.
Europe has come a long way since the Enlightenment; we must defend these advances and the freedoms that they have delivered against all attempts to roll them back.
I continue to be surprised that our supposedly secular Government continues to pander to the outrageous expectations of the religious minority (which is tiny, maybe 8% of the population). In what ways do they exhibit their tendency to afford religion unjustified respect?
- Sunday opening hours; it is most annoying to find that the shop you wish to visit is not allowed to open on the "Sabbath". There is no justification for this restriction.
- Bishops in the House of Lords; not surprisingly, the other religions are campaigning for equal access to the House of Lords, where the Church of England has 26 bishops. I fully equality in this area - let us rid the House of all religious representatives, thus delivering a simple, easily defined and understood equality.
- Discrimination; as exhibited during the recent arguments over gay adoption, the religious establishment wants to be able to discriminate against some members of society, using as their basis for this the irrational dictats found in a bronze-age magic book. This is simply not acceptable and must not be allowed.
- "Faith" schools; there is no justification for allowing "Faith" to be taught in schools and there is certainly no need for our taxes to help fund the indoctrination and sectarian separation of our children. If the churches wish to fund their own schools then they should be able to (as long as they stick to the secular National Curriculum) but it is not the place of Government to fund this unpleasant behaviour.
If this sounds harsh, ask yourself "why should religious groups be treated differently to other social groups?" We can quickly see that there is no real reason for awarding special rights to religious groups (although we should continue to protect believers from persecution - nobody would want a return to the religiously inspired atrocities of the 16th and 17th centuries) and that the creation of such rights simply divides society, encouraging sectarian differences that would otherwise not exist.
Europe has come a long way since the Enlightenment; we must defend these advances and the freedoms that they have delivered against all attempts to roll them back.
Saturday, March 24, 2007
50 years of the EU
Time magazine have posted an article describing what they see as the EU's top 20 achievements. Interesting stuff, and fairly independent.
Friday, March 23, 2007
Cartoons of Mohammed
The latest good news in the struggle for free-speech in Western Europe arrives courtesy of the BBC (source), who report that a court in France, where Editor Charlie Hebdo was tried for inciting hatred, has acquitted him on the grounds that the cartoons he reprinted were actually attacks on Fundamentalists and Terrorists, not Islam.
Islam, which shares many of the more distasteful elements of the other two Abrahamic religions (Christianity and Judaism), is in fact a valid target for irony, satire and ridicule. Like other religions (and political beliefs, superstitions, prejudices etc.), Islam should be open to public criticism and where it can't answer these criticisms, should recognise that it might have got something wrong.
My point is that people's dearly held beliefs should always be open to attack, since it is through attack (rather than unquestioning acceptance) that we improve our ideas and beliefs. Without these attacks it is very difficult to know when we have started to believe something ridiculous; it might not be pleasant to have somebody laugh at our beliefs, but it is a pretty good sign that we should think about them some more.
Islam, which shares many of the more distasteful elements of the other two Abrahamic religions (Christianity and Judaism), is in fact a valid target for irony, satire and ridicule. Like other religions (and political beliefs, superstitions, prejudices etc.), Islam should be open to public criticism and where it can't answer these criticisms, should recognise that it might have got something wrong.
My point is that people's dearly held beliefs should always be open to attack, since it is through attack (rather than unquestioning acceptance) that we improve our ideas and beliefs. Without these attacks it is very difficult to know when we have started to believe something ridiculous; it might not be pleasant to have somebody laugh at our beliefs, but it is a pretty good sign that we should think about them some more.
Saturday, March 17, 2007
Religious Amputees?
I have been reading a great article (here) addressing the question "Why won't God heal amputees?". The answer is obvious, of course, but the author of this article just a good job demolishing the arguments of the credulous. Worth a visit.
Friday, March 16, 2007
Market Stroll
A quick walk around Covent Garden Market at lunchtime yesterday confirmed that spring is on it's way. The sun was out, the sky clear of clouds and all around the square people were eating at outdoor tables. To be honest, I think it is still slightly too cold for outdoor eating; there is something rather annoying about having your food chilled by the wind on its way to your table - it just takes the edge of the experience.
Still, if you don't mind cold food, a brisk breeze and wearing a hat to eat, now is the time to start hitting Covent Garden.
Still, if you don't mind cold food, a brisk breeze and wearing a hat to eat, now is the time to start hitting Covent Garden.
Thursday, March 15, 2007
Conservapedia, Again
I have just stumbled (by hitting Random Page - first time, honest) across the following entry on Conservapedia. It will probably change fairly soon, hence the quote.
They seem to be having a problem with people correcting their entries which invariably removes references to Creationism and associated myths. Great fun, but I don't think it will last very long - the founders are bound to get discouraged and give up. One interesting point is that they are now claiming huge numbers of hits in the last couple of weeks, apparently without realising that almost all their visitors are laughing at them and their beliefs.
The Ouija board has been around for centuries, dating as far back as 500BC. Its main use is to contact the dead in a “séance”. Many Christians find this practice to be morally wrong because demons can enter the mind of the “medium” and be unleashed into the world. The Ouija board is currently sold by Parker Brothers.
They seem to be having a problem with people correcting their entries which invariably removes references to Creationism and associated myths. Great fun, but I don't think it will last very long - the founders are bound to get discouraged and give up. One interesting point is that they are now claiming huge numbers of hits in the last couple of weeks, apparently without realising that almost all their visitors are laughing at them and their beliefs.
Sunday, March 11, 2007
Write Only Memory
I am sure I have posted this link before somewhere, but in case you haven't seen it here is Signetic's Write-Only Memory product. This was published in a databook in the early 1970s by an engineer frustrated by Signetic's dysfunctional approval controls.
Saturday, March 10, 2007
Another Saturday, Another Gym
Susie and I were out of the house at the crack of dawn today so we could hit the gym then make it home before Susie's Food Rage sets in. So far, so good. I have finished on the treadmill and I am now waiting in the lounge for Susie. Yawn. If she doesn't hurry, I'll have to gnaw off my own foot to avoid starvation .
More news later, if I make it...
Friday, March 09, 2007
Thursday, March 08, 2007
US Gun Law
A report in Time suggests that some parts of the US might be clamping down on their rampant gun culture by restricting the sales of the larger rifles on the market. "Clamping down" is, of course, a relative term, as there appears to be considerable support for continued sale of the 0.5" calibre weapons under consideration.
Who would need one of these weapons? The Royal Marines use them to destroy equipment and vehicles (according to their website). Some 0.5" weapons are used by army snipers against infantry and vehicles because of the tremendous amount of damage they inflict. They aren't, in general, used for hunting because they do too much damage to prey and, if you miss, the bullet can travel a ridiculously long way.
There are, therefore, no legitimate civilian uses for such a powerful weapon. The only reason for owning a weapon of this sort is to kill people, damage infrastructure (petrol storage depots, chemical processing facilities etc.) or destroy vehicles (like airliners, petrol tankers etc.) and equipment (electricity substations, communications base-stations etc.). Knowing all this, it is difficult to understand why the NRA wants these weapons to be freely available.
Who would need one of these weapons? The Royal Marines use them to destroy equipment and vehicles (according to their website). Some 0.5" weapons are used by army snipers against infantry and vehicles because of the tremendous amount of damage they inflict. They aren't, in general, used for hunting because they do too much damage to prey and, if you miss, the bullet can travel a ridiculously long way.
There are, therefore, no legitimate civilian uses for such a powerful weapon. The only reason for owning a weapon of this sort is to kill people, damage infrastructure (petrol storage depots, chemical processing facilities etc.) or destroy vehicles (like airliners, petrol tankers etc.) and equipment (electricity substations, communications base-stations etc.). Knowing all this, it is difficult to understand why the NRA wants these weapons to be freely available.
Sunday, March 04, 2007
H.Samuel
I am stuck in H.Samuel in Fareham. Send help! The horror - I can't stand it! Must escape from Fareham...
Update - that was a mobile entry, written as I stood at the sales desk in H.Samuel. Not the fastest service ever, and Fareham Shopping Centre is not a Mecca for enthusiastic shoppers (it is more of a dive, really). I did manage to escape, however, so all is not lost.
Update - that was a mobile entry, written as I stood at the sales desk in H.Samuel. Not the fastest service ever, and Fareham Shopping Centre is not a Mecca for enthusiastic shoppers (it is more of a dive, really). I did manage to escape, however, so all is not lost.
Funny, if it wasn't serious
As you may have gathered from some of the posts on this site, I am not a big fan of organised religion or the techniques they use to promote their opinions. Who, though, could object to a museum, possibly one of the best tools for educating the post-school population?
Well, as it turns out, I can. Not all museums, of course, just the one being built by a group called Answers in Genesis, where visitors will be shown "evidence" of dinosaurs and humans living togehter and "proof" that the world is only 6,000 years old, amongst other things. It isn't that I object to people holding their own beliefs (although dangerous and stupid beliefs should probably be discouraged), it is the fact that these people portray their religious extremism as family-friendly science.
These idiots, who are now spreading their message in the UK, are not safe to be on the streets. It isn't just Muslim extremists we need to worry about, the Christians are just as capable of breeding maniacs and I, for one, do not want to live in a world where the morals of the Bible (or the Koran) are held to be the high point of human civilization.
End of rant - I now have to go away and breathe deeply for a while to calm myself.
Well, as it turns out, I can. Not all museums, of course, just the one being built by a group called Answers in Genesis, where visitors will be shown "evidence" of dinosaurs and humans living togehter and "proof" that the world is only 6,000 years old, amongst other things. It isn't that I object to people holding their own beliefs (although dangerous and stupid beliefs should probably be discouraged), it is the fact that these people portray their religious extremism as family-friendly science.
These idiots, who are now spreading their message in the UK, are not safe to be on the streets. It isn't just Muslim extremists we need to worry about, the Christians are just as capable of breeding maniacs and I, for one, do not want to live in a world where the morals of the Bible (or the Koran) are held to be the high point of human civilization.
End of rant - I now have to go away and breathe deeply for a while to calm myself.
Lunar Eclipse
Susie and I were outside last night watching the lunar eclipse. I took around 50 photos using a tripod and a telephoto lens (and a camera, obviously) and the surprising thing was that even on the fairly short exposures (about 5 seconds) you can, it would appear, see the stars moving across the field of vision. I don't think it was camera shake (although it could have been) because the movement is in the same direction in all the photos. It is a little disappointing, to be honest, because the the photos are not as sharp as I had hoped. Still, they aren't too bad so here is one (without stars) of the better ones.
Another Early Morning
It is Sunday and Susie and I are at the gym. It isn't busy - young people don't come to the gym on Sunday morning, normally. Why are we here? Because, surprisingly, we enjoy it and there is something rather rewarding about early morning exercise. With luck, we should now be nicely set up for the rest of the day.
This afternoon, we are off to Southampton to see Rebecca at the cinema. Review later.
Friday, March 02, 2007
e-Government
Do you want to have a say in the way the Government delivers its services? Have you had a bad/good experience with our e-enabled democracy? Whatever you need to say, you can now visit this site and contribute directly to the discussion.
Thursday, March 01, 2007
Food
In a desperate attempt to get out of the office for ten minutes, I headed out onto Kingsway to find something to eat, ending up at Eat. As far as I can tell, Eat is a Pret clone; fresh food, cooked daily on the premises from good ingredients. My lunch, a chicken pie in a pot (see photo) was pretty good so I think I will be trying them again at some point (although the idea of a pie in a pot, which is basically thick soup with a square of pastry on the top, seems rather strange).
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