5 years of Orwell’s diaries are being serialised. This really is a wonderful idea and I have this instantly added to my ultra-exclusive daily feed list:
The Orwell Prize, Britain’s pre-eminent prize for political writing, is publishing George Orwell’s diaries as a blog. From 9th August 2008, Orwell’s domestic and political diaries (from 9th August 1938 [...]
The radio program and podcast Speaking of Faith from American Public Media is one of my favourite podcasts. I am not even a believer in God, yet these programs feature magnificent people and are packed with wisdom and brilliance.
Below is a selection of some of my favourites:
The Spiritual Audacity of Abraham Joshua Heschel
Abraham Joshua [...]
From B92:
A book that the Islamic Community in Serbia has deemed offensive to Muslims has been withdrawn from the bookstores.
A strongly worded reaction from this religious community was sufficient for the Belgrade published Beobuk to swiftly withdraw Sherry Jones’ novel "The Jewel of Medina".
Director Aleksandar Jasić confirmed for B92 that the book will [...]
Check out this superb comic from SubNormality:
The Horror…The…uh…horror..?
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“Lippmann…argued in his best-selling book called Public Opinion that democracy was fundamentally flawed. People, he said, mostly know the world only indirectly, through “pictures they make up in their heads.” And they receive these mental pictures largely through the media. The problem, Lippmann argued, is that the pictures people have in their heads are hopelessly [...]
Not really sure what to think about this. A Danish Muslim girls magazine is running a competition for “Miss Headscarf”. The winner will be featured as a cover girl.
On the one hand I am all for efforts to normalise headscarves and show tolerance for people’s choices of dress ( I mean where is the outrage [...]
Please watch this powerful and beautiful short speech by Jill Bolte Taylor about how she came to observer her own stoke as it happened, and how it transformed her life.
TED | Talks | Jill Bolte Taylor: My stroke of insight (video)
This is attributed to the Prophet Mohammed. I heard it listening to an excellent GreyLodge Podcast interview with Joel Gilbert, writer and director of Farewell Israel: Bush, Iran, and the Revolt of Islam . It seems to me like the perfect catchphrase or motto for Humanists or Atheists.
The Real Truth That Dare Not Speak Itself
“A balkanization of epistemology is taking place. There is no longer a commonality of understanding. For some people quantum physics provides the answers. Their next door neighbor may look to the channeling of archangels with equal fervor.
It is accompanied by a related phenomenon which is technology, or the [...]
INSTANT EVOLUTION: The Influence of the City on Human Genes by Howard Bloom, Visiting Scholar, New York University.
Howard Bloom is a genius. I rate him as one of the most interesting living intellectuals. He is an intellectual idol of mine, king of the The Omnologists, polymath, gentleman and scholar.
Just look at any of his [...]