Yearly Archives: 2008

Guilty and shameless

Posted on June 5, 2008 by acb

I haven’t posted anything for a couple of days. So I’m guilty; mostly because I have been on trains or racketing around in London when not writing two rather difficult pieces, but also because Santa came on Tuesday with a … Continue reading →

Posted in God | 1 Comment

Death and Badminton

Posted on June 2, 2008 by acb

A while ago, Felix told me about a parody he had once seen of The Seventh Seal, in which Death appears on a very windy seafront, and when he announces himself the Knight thinks for a second and challenges him … Continue reading →

Posted in Blather, Sweden | 5 Comments

Jesus saves the Mozart of Taxidermy

Posted on June 1, 2008 by acb

The Financial Times has a strangely moving story about a man whose mission it is to stuff very small and unremarkable fish. I started my taxidermy business when I was 22 and I struggled to earn a living for 12 … Continue reading →

Posted in Blather, God | Comments Off

A Pelican History

Posted on June 1, 2008 by acb

England in the Eighteenth Century is a lovely, succinct and succulent volume from the Pelican History of England, written in 1950, at a time of fierce self-improvement. To quote the contemporary review in the Listener: As a portent in the … Continue reading →

Posted in British politics, Literature, Science without worms, War | 1 Comment

Explaining creationism in British schools

Posted on May 31, 2008 by acb

The first impulse for Melanie Phillips’ long journey to the very very right came from her experiences as one of the Guardian’s education writers, where the gap between propaganda and reality was just unbearable. Today’s paper shows what she was … Continue reading →

Posted in British politics, God | 2 Comments

quick travel notes

Posted on May 31, 2008 by acb

I was in Edinburgh on Thursday. When I left my hotel to buy a paper, I found a dozen schoolchildren in the corner shop and the first thing I thought, accustomed as I am to the mores of the Home … Continue reading →

Posted in Travel notes | 4 Comments

A quick thought

Posted on May 28, 2008 by acb

I really don’t know the answer to this question. But when I read the work of Muslims trying to modernise/reform their religion by reinterpreting the Koran from first principles (well, all right, from our principles), I’m struck by one problem: … Continue reading →

Posted in God | 2 Comments

Paging Fred Clark

Posted on May 27, 2008 by acb

Dear Fred, not all the fanmail you get is spam. Some needs a reply …

Posted in God, Housekeeping, Journalism | 2 Comments

Don’t have sex with Roman Catholics

Posted on May 26, 2008 by acb

Last Monday I went to see Nick Davies talking at Wolfson College, and in consequence bought his book; quite by coincidence. Kevin Myers’ memoir of life in Belfast Watching the Door turned up on Friday, so I read that too. … Continue reading →

Posted in British politics, Journalism | 6 Comments