The biggest problem that causes such a violent opposition between secularism and religion is, not so much in the moral values of the Holy Scripture – which, if not distorted, are much closer to our moral values than you might feel it safe to think – but the interpretation of their meaning, their politicisation by […]
Culture
Brexit Musings (27) – Love Island: A Glimmer Of Hope For Remainers
He stole a kiss on a rock, overlooking the still ocean. A silhouette of love, a shadow of feelings. And as the sun disappeared over their new horizon, they were encompassed by the warm glow of dusk. He took her closer and whispered tenderly, “You know, my love. You know that this could never have […]
- Culture
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Blocking On Social Media: “Get Out Of My Virtual Life, You Virtual Man!”
I never thought this would happen to me, but it has. Someone out there, in virtual reality, had the audacity to ban me from their virtual life on the net. I thought that it had no meaning, but it has. I now realise that you can ignore somebody you don’t even know exists, in the […]
- Culture
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Three Colours – Blue, White, Red
And there I was, thinking that all you needed to play football for your national team was (i) citizenship, (ii) more than average skills and, (iii) to be picked by the trainer. Silly me, I must say. It was pretty much obvious that you must also be of the appropriate ethnicity, to avoid cynical remarks […]
Veganism – A Religion For Vegetables
Before you throw your pickled onions at me, let me get something straight. The last time I had a steak on my plate was about a quarter of a century ago. I’m really not into meat, anymore – apart from the odd leg of chicken. And yes, I do drink milk, eat eggs, and fish, […]
Red Alert, The Blues Should Win
It’s squeaky bum time again, in the world of football. It’s that moment when you cannot muster the courage to switch on the television set and yet, you are compelled to do so. Old wounds, that you thought had healed forever, come surging to the surface again, and open up to cause you more pain […]
The Night England Won Me Back
There used to be a time when I was an unconditional England supporter. Living in Kilburn made it that much easier to get to Wembley Stadium to watch the Three Lions play really well, or get beaten out of sight by slick Continentals. I’ve seen just about all facets of the national side, and I […]
Why Can’t I Be A Famous Moronic YouTuber?
The bottom line is that I’m probably jealous of these guys. How I would love to have 63 million subscribers to my blog. My greatest number of shares for a post is 180, something I’m quite proud of because I shared the post in a couple of Facebook groups, and then forgot all about it. […]
Russia’s Fake World Cup
In the Russian town of Ekaterinburg, 14 households are currently cut off from the gas supplies for a month during the FIFA 2018 World Cup. The official reason, given by the authorities, is that the high-pressure gas supply is considered to be too dangerous during the period when the town hosts four group matches. This […]
Cultural Appropriation Is a Myth – I’m Not My Culture, I’m Me
The French and English cultures in which I grew up, influence my tastes and moral judgements. But they are not me…I am. Cultural appropriation is a myth because there is nothing to appropriate. For Tania de Montaigne, a French journalist and writer, Blacks do not exist, but blacks do. “Why the capital B?”, she asks. […]