Yearly Archives: 2007

I dreamed I saw Saint Augustines

Posted on November 17, 2007 by acb

(this is, by coincidence, Entry 1500: apologies if you thought the blog would suddenly go all profound and witty) Am off to Avignon for four days tomorrow, travelling first class on Eurostar, because it is only an extra 30 Euros. … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in God | Comments Off on I dreamed I saw Saint Augustines

Midgley and metaphysics

Posted on November 16, 2007 by acb

I pulled down Science and Salvation last night and it fell open at a discussion of the truth of large metaphysical assertions which is a useful way of following on from the comments to my earlier piece. It’s quite a … Continue reading →

Posted in God | 3 Comments

Hicks and wiseguys

Posted on November 15, 2007 by acb

Ophelia Benson and others are having fun with a survey in Christianity Today asking what are “the most compelling arguments for Christianity”. The choices are The exquisiteness of the physical world (6%) The reliability of the Scriptures (21%) The life … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in God | 15 Comments

There had to be a youtube post sometime

Posted on November 12, 2007 by acb

And here you are. It has no soundtrack and no colour. Courtesy of TNH, it is newsreel footage from the last twenty minutes of life in the trenches at the Somme, before the men go over the top, which they … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in War | 1 Comment

Mailer and Waugh

Posted on November 12, 2007 by acb

A note in the Telegraph’s obituary of Norman Mailer leads me to ponder the distinction between egomaniacs and shits. They might seem indistinguishable, but the comparison with Evelyn Waugh shows they are not. Mailer, it’s obvious from his biographies, was … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Literature | 1 Comment

how journalism works

Posted on November 12, 2007 by acb

One of the odder things I do is to write a column on religion in the media for the Church Times and one of the odder difficulties with that is I feel I ought to try not to say too … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in God, Journalism | 17 Comments

A thought on lenses

Posted on November 12, 2007 by acb

It is hard sometimes to justify the purchase of lenses to people who are not interested in photography. You can buy a perfectly decent camera for a lot less than I just paid for a 77mm f1.9 Pentax portrait lens. … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Pictures | 3 Comments

A very quick further note on censorship

Posted on November 9, 2007 by acb

I have been discussing with the imperfectly Voltairean Mrs T. in comments the sort of grounds on which modern states actually censor, rather than those which they pretend to themselves they apply. In particular, I want to argue that notions … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Net stories, War | 8 Comments

Doctors and murderers; now added hate

Posted on November 8, 2007 by acb

I’m always surprised, when I think of it, that so few doctors turn out to be mass murderers. It’s hard to think of any profession which offers better arguments for nihilism, except, perhaps, religious journalism. In any case, the Shipmans, … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Sweden | 3 Comments

Friday quickies

Posted on November 2, 2007 by acb

A truly excellent foreign affairs blog by the FT columnist Gideon Rachman. Who could not love someone who writes This is vintage Steyn – jeering, complacent and utterly stupid. ? An elk has been rescued from a swimming pool after … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Blather | 1 Comment