There has been some rather interesting discussion in the papers in the last few weeks about the notion of “Social Inclusion”. In the recent cabinet reshuffle of the Gillard government, the unfortunate Mark Butler was made Minister for Social Inclusion. At a press conference afterwards the new Minister found great difficulty in explaining what the […]
You may remember (but this is more than likely just my ego surfacing again) that I wrote a blog essay a few weeks back which I titled “The Power of Three”. In this essay I conjectured if Readers Digest Condensed Books Division had got their hand on the Old Testament they might have distilled the […]
It seems to me that I have written something on this subject before some twelve months or more ago. But of course now that I am older my perspective might have changed somewhat. Was it Samuel Johnson who said something to the effect, “That nothing focuses the mind like a hanging!”? No doubt those whose […]
Those who know me well appreciate that I am a cricket tragic. But despite all the wonderful things that have happened in cricket in the last few weeks I am not inclined to impose my fanaticism on you. But let me share this with you. When the TV commentary team was describing the field they […]
Most of you will have never heard of Tommie Connor. Connor was a British songwriter. His hits had such unforgettable titles like “The Biggest Aspidistra in the World” (sung by Gracie Fields) and “Never do a Tango with an Eskimo” (sung by Alma Cogan). [If you think I’ve made this up it is easily verified […]
I suppose it is because I am an introvert (which my wife disputes) that a good deal of the pleasure that I get on a daily basis comes from reading and listening to music. The pleasure of these pursuits is a very important part of my life. Indeed, I felt so strongly about reading that […]
This week I want to turn my attention to dementia. (Yes, I know some of you think I am talking from personal subjective experience!) As a result of some serendipitous circumstances (she had heard of me from a mutual acquaintance and acquired a couple of my books) I got to meet an extraordinary lady. The […]
Just sometimes you feel that humanity is a club worth belonging to. I had to fill my car up with petrol at a service station. Having replenished my car with fuel, I went to pay the cashier. There were two others lined up to do the same. First in line was an elderly man. (These […]
The Upanishads, which underlie Vedanta and early Hinduism, begin, “Thus we have heard….”. And it is well to remember that virtually all our knowledge and most of our thoughts are at best second-hand. I suppose this is what sets the Gnostics apart who claim not to have faith but knowledge, knowledge born of personal experience. […]
When you peruse the history of human civilisation, our progress has been driven by innovation, discovery and invention. There can be no doubt that many of us and our forebears have benefited from the serendipitous distribution of the earth’s resources. We benefitted because we were in close proximity to fertile land, abundant wildlife, reliable water […]