Practical Thoughts

I have been blown away by Team GB's performance in the Olympics. I don't know whether it interests you but having seen Andy Murray win the gold in the most remarkable way against Federer made me think that it just shows that anything is possible ... it just takes self-belief to achieve what you want to do. More particularly, if we all in this country were to become as focused as these medal winners on what we should do both socially and spiritually, then, again, anything is possible. The world can so easily become such a wonderful abode if were to desire it enough!

Some of the items included in last night's opening party were class i.m.o. ... The Queen and Mr. Bond, the animation of Churchill's statue, Mr. Bean during the Chariots of Fire interlude ... and what I thought was the truly magnificent theme and engineering of the Olympic flame. That , I thought, was worth all the tea in China ... Well, surely it was at least something that was a truly innovative perspective incorporating the unity of the nations present. Having said that it seems churlish to criticise anything ... but I must. I felt that the first hour was a bore and the piece about the industrial revolution a total misrepresentation of history. Yes, Britain led the way in industrial development, but at the cost of the gross manipulation of workers and domination of a world that did not need dominating. Furthermore, the process led the world to think that all so-called "progress" was OK despite the pollution of the depths, the surface and the air. And parts of the ...

The Tory machine grinds on in its determination to impose its will, claiming that it's policy on financial cuts is necessary in view of what that naughty Labour Party did. Well, the last Labour government was by no means perfect - it certainly did not provide for a rainy day - but the Tories live according to (putting it politely) kidology. They say they're "cutting" but in the process are borrowing more, and wasting more as a result of their various u-turns. They do not know what they're doing, and instead of doing something directly to help the young get into work instead decide that letting the banks have more money to loan to business is the way forward. Will the banks do what is intended at affordable interest rates? I doubt it. It seems that a one-time very senior Tory figure not so long ago succinctly explained that the Conservative Party was a "coalition of privileged interests. Its main purpose is to defend that privilege. And the way it wins el...

My last posting about the Antikythera Mechanism prompts me to write a little bit more about technologies that existed before the Buddha and the Christ appeared on Earth. Back in the mid-1970s, I went through a period of evaluating alternative theories on what really happened in ancient history. It had always bugged me since my schooldays when I suggested to my teacher (in the 1950s) that the land masses of Africa, Europe and the Americas were once interlocked. It appeared obvious to me judging by the near-matching shape of their coastlines. The teacher poo-poohed my suggestion and that, effectively, caused me to question just what education was about. Education seemed then to be concerned about railroading people into mechanical thought processes, and it's not far different today, when material gain seems to be the be-all. Coming back to the point at hand, my delving into alternative writings in the 70s produced a whole galaxy of new perceptions about what went on in the days BC...

I first read about this object over 35 years ago, in the days when no-one knew what it was, having been pulled from the Mediterranean back in 1900. Even 35 years ago, people were wondering whether the object (showing advanced gearing) was some form of computer. And now (having used advanced x-ray equipment and modern computers to solve the problem, impossible 35 years ago), here is the remarkable answer.  http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/6191462.stm It was probably first designed and made by Archimedes, and derivatives appeared during the rise of Islam. Eventually the design made its way back to Europe and there is an unusual outdoor clock at Hampton Court that employs some of the gearing principles used in Archimedes original work. Enjoy, it's a fascinating subject. Oh, and in that book I read 35 years ago, it was stated that objects thought to be electrical batteries were also found, also over 2,000 years old. I wonder what has happened to the investigation into those? ...

Back in 2010, I made a few pronouncements about what I thought of the government coalition, but since then I've rather kept my powder dry. It did not take much imagination that pronouncements such as "We're all in it together" (Cameron) would rebound on the governing parties, and the truth of it all is at last coming to the surface. Don't get me wrong - cuts were always going to be necessary and drastic. But the Labour Party knew that and were already drawing up their plans (slower pace cuts with less pain and providing for room for growth) when they were ousted by what turned out to be a coalition. The Labour Party has since derided the coalition for the swingeing cuts with no or little room for growth. The government said: "Ah, but staffing cuts in the public sector will be picked up by self-generation in the private sector!" Phooey number 1 : Since then, unemployment has increased and growth predictions have had to be hugely downgraded. And I say a...

I have been an admirer of The Independent 's crack Middle East reporter Robert Fisk for 15 or more years. I have read some of his books; I have read many of his articles. I was surprised, therefore, to read to-day's ' I ' (a subset of The Independent ) and a comment by Fisk about the singer Cat Stevens (a.k.a. Yusuf Islam). In the article, Fisk refers to Stevens' conversion to Islam (in the late 1970s) and infers that Stevens "... frittered away more than 20 years of his life ...". Presumably in Stevens' pursuit of knowledge about Islam. Just how had Stevens "frittered away" his time, I wish to know. Clearly, Stevens was guided by something about Islam that had inspired him, and I happen to know that he became a respected figure at Regent's Park Mosque in north London, where he was frequently to be seen. I believe that Stevens' presence in Islam has been of a constructive nature. Islamic people were civilised centuries before M...

Well, our Prime Minister has decided to done his sackcloth and has taken the opportunity of the season to chide the Church on not doing enough to promote the idea that Britain is a Christian country, and that we should return to traditional Christian values. I can see where Cameron is coming from but he's clearly not done much to understand what has been going on in this country for the last 50 years or more. Firstly, the predominant problems in our society are to do with people who would have been born into families that once would have followed the ethos of the Christian Church. In the 1960s and then on there was a rebellion against the Church and nothing, sadly, properly replaced the function of the Church. Except other religions and spiritual paths for those who still felt that an 'inner' life was an important factor. It is a fact that over these last 40 years there has been a substantial influx of Asians who have brought with them their Islamic, Hindu and Buddhist ...

The respected author Harold Pinter said (in his 2005 Nobel Prize speech): I believe that despite the enormous odds which exist, unflinching, unswerving, fierce intellectual determination, as citizens, to define the real truth of our lives and our societies is a crucial obligation which devolves upon us all. It is in fact mandatory . The time has now come when man has no option but to re-find his self-respect. In the UK, we still (despite what we think are problems) sit comfortably while in many countries typhoons and tempests rage and floods are making thousands homeless. Deserts are being created and children are going hungry as much now if not more than they have ever done. Wars are still being fought and the donwtrodden in a number of countries have sprung up to seek justice against their oppressors. The world's ecology is threatened. Man is at a precipice. Back home, there have been significant signs of a deep and underlying frustration in the UK. There is no excuse f...

Understandably, the Prime Minister calls for law and order and promises that control over the situation will be imposed. Good. But, does this mean that the cuts that are in the process of being imposed on the police will be eased to ensure no repeat of the conflagration? Let’s ask another question. If the cuts on the police budget are eased, will there be a corresponding ease on the cuts to those services which are likely to help restore community well-being – the youth clubs, the community workers and all the fine services that have recently been forced to break up? I doubt it. In reality, government does not want to know about people who commit these ‘crimes against society’ – it draws back from dealing with the source of the problem, which is primarily alienation of the youths in deprived areas. Government has never properly cared about these issues. When the British economy picked up during the early 90s, the riot problems manifest in the 70s and 80s looked as though they...