What, Why & How do we Know ?
I’m reading Dan Brown’s latest in a similar mode to my readings of Lee Child. That is it’s a genre and author that really holds no interest other than witnessing what a best-seller looks like and attempting an understanding how it’s constructed. Who am I to call it drivel? Stylistically neither has won me over. … Continue reading “Our Destiny in Dan Brown’s Origin?”
Loved reading Neil Gaiman’s American Gods, the so-called “author’s preferred text” version from 2004 with the extra epilogue chapter. It made a big impression but I never did get round to writing a full review, beyond this passing reference. Never been a fan of fantasy or sci-fi fiction generally, with a few satirical and philosophical … Continue reading “#AmericanGods”
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”