Today I went to a Remembrance service at a war memorial followed by one at a church. At both, the national anthem was sung, and other nationalistic sentiments were expressed in word and song. It goes without saying that Remembrance is an incredibly important and significant time for many people and for the society we... Continue Reading →
What is it like to go to university with undiagnosed #autism? How does the diagnostic process affect this? #REDinstead
This blog is a sort of semi-sequel to this one. If you have not read it, you may like to. In a recent speech, the actor and comedian Stephen Fry expressed his frustration at the apparent death of the political centre ground. The problem, he feels, is that freedom of speech is under attack from both... Continue Reading →
I can still picture the moment I discovered that there are Christians who believe that climate change is a good thing because it will speed Christ’s return! Much like the famed ‘rapture hatch’, it can be tempting to laugh at such eschatological clumsiness, but for the seriousness of its implications. A similar story emerges with... Continue Reading →
Reaction to the BBC's 'Pilgrimage: The Road to Santiago' has been somewhat mixed amongst those who have completed the journey themselves. Indeed even before it began, more than one friend expressed their concern that such a programme could not possibly do justice to the great and ancient mysteries of the Way. I likewise had concerns, but... Continue Reading →
For some time now I have been thinking about how to open this blog up to allow voices other than my own to be heard. Recently I 'reblogged' a piece from elsewhere for the first time, and soon a series of guest bloggers will be posting on issues close to them. For this piece though, I... Continue Reading →
Expressing your aversion to the police as an institution immediately elicits some variation of the same question each time: “what if someone’s breaking into my house?” or “what if someone attacks me?”. People worry about being the victim of, or witness to a crime, and this is completely understandable. Problems soon come though, when such... Continue Reading →
With Christmas Day imminent, it can be easy to get caught up in the last minute dash to the shops, or the frustration of planning something everyone will enjoy. The whole Christmas season can become overshadowed by things that have no right to take up our time and thoughts, so with that in mind, here... Continue Reading →
“If you think you can do a thing or think you can’t do a thing, you’re right.” So goes Henry Ford’s oft parroted quote. It is particularly popular with Donald Trump, who has tweeted it on at least three separate occasions. Of course it’s easy for someone like Donald Trump to say, starting out, as... Continue Reading →
I nearly joined the army once. I was a teenager, a young school leaver, with little to show for my years eking out a miserable existence in a place that didn’t want me. I joined a college course, completely unsuitable for me, and eventually left when my anti-authoritarian streak reared its ruinous head. The course... Continue Reading →
Bread and Rosaries 