Monthly Archives: March 2006

He said what?

The Guardian’s full transcript of the interview with Rowan Williams is a fascinating glimpse into the process of manufacturing news stories. It contains one quote which won’t be noticed anywhere else, but deserves to be: “parts of the internet are, … Continue reading Continue reading

Posted in God | 1 Comment

Hey, Mister, that’s me up on the Jukebox!

Thursday night, and for a week thereafter on the web — Analysis on violent Islamism in Britain and what the government is doing about it. UPDATE — the current Analysis — the one you will get if you click on … Continue reading Continue reading

Posted in Journalism | Comments Off on Hey, Mister, that’s me up on the Jukebox!

Dawkins bash at the LSE

[This is sort of deadblogging, because it all happened last Thursday. But these are more or less the notes I made at the time. I have just been too busy to get them in order.] The OUP threw a lecture … Continue reading Continue reading

Posted in Science without worms | 7 Comments

Coming soon

There is no picture to link to, and they haven’t updated the relevant page of their site, but this morning the postman arrived with three copies of the latest Granta, whose theme is God, and which contains amongst other things … Continue reading Continue reading

Posted in Literature | Comments Off on Coming soon

Watch out! They’re still telling us

I have revised my opinion that there will be no war with Iran. This isn’t because I think it makes sense, or can be won, or anything like that. It’s because I read the Daily Telegraph to find out what … Continue reading Continue reading

Posted in War | 5 Comments

They told us so

ho ho ho ho I have done occasional dive bombings of what the Telegraph wrote when the war was going well; but of course the standard of jingoistic hubris on American television is immeasurably higher. These quotes — not just … Continue reading Continue reading

Posted in War | Comments Off on They told us so

Growing frantic

This is odd: for silly reasons, nothing must pass my lips but water until 11.30 today, and, while hunger without exercise is largely a matter of routine, and I don’t miss breakfast at all, the lack of caffeine is gnawing … Continue reading Continue reading

Posted in Blather | Comments Off on Growing frantic

Two armies

Three stories from Iraq, when put together, suggest some of the causes and consequences of the impending retreat. The first two are about how the British Army, as an institution, seems to have turned against the war. It’s remarkable that … Continue reading Continue reading

Posted in War | Comments Off on Two armies

lost in translation, very lost.

This is too silly for words: a Chinese menu with literal word-for-word translations done from a colloquial dictionary. It gets steadily more surreal and vulgar as you scroll down until the characters meaning “Hot and spicy garlic greens stir-fried with … Continue reading Continue reading

Posted in Blather | 1 Comment

Tethered bones on a Saudi Mountain

I am in the throes of another Analysis, this time on the government’s plans to deal with Islamist terrorism. Thats why there have been so few posts. But I would like to quote a passage from Gilles Kepel’s latest book, … Continue reading Continue reading

Posted in God | Comments Off on Tethered bones on a Saudi Mountain