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    Crisis? What crisis

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    Living on a small island can make you adopt insular attitudes towards what’s happening in the rest of the world. War in Europe, extreme weather disasters, superpower dominance…not my problem. The EU has an important role in opposing Russian expansionist aggression, and pushing back against Trump’s protectionist import tariffs. It…

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  • Tariffs

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    Deal or no deal politician, Donald Trump wants to boost the USA’s trade balance by making imports more expensive He would also like India to buy more wheat and other grains. Why would they want to disadvantage their agriculture industry? The average size of an Indian farm is about a…

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  • Trolleyed

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    After a pleasant afternoon in my favourite Italian bar/restaurant I walked up the Lisburn Road towards a pedestrian crossing. A woman with a trolley said something that I didn’t hear and then rammed my bike with her trolley. She got angry and kicked my bike while I demonstrated that she…

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  • Established coffee

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    There are two very good coffee emporia in the Cathedral Quarter of Belfast, Neighbourhood is one, the other is Established. I tried the espresso at Established this morning and was warned by the barista that it was intense. He was right but it wasn’t bitter and went well with the…

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  • It is written

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    Or is it? The idea that everything is the way it is because it could not be any other way seems counterintuitive. The odds of our planet being exactly the right distance from the sun with an atmosphere favourable to flora and fauna is highly unlikely. So one might rely…

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    Nevus

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    Four years ago I attended the Diabetic Eye Clinic and they found a ‘freckle’ on my left retina. The medical term is nevus, but in any case they are quite common and just need monitoring. The staff at the Royal Victoria Hospital are very friendly and explained everything as they…

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  • Knowledge and Reason

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    Book 5 of my OU course and then it’s the final assignment and an End of Module Assessment. I think it’s time to go to the next level and take on a Master’s degree course. It will be a costly venture, so I can’t afford to waste the chance to…

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    Freeloading Europe

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    Trump’s Administration goes from bad to worse in its diplomatic gaffes. The group chat revelations to an American journalist portrayed Europe as spongers off the USA. Europe is in a precarious position. Putin has shown that he will not stop at clandestine interference in democratic elections to install Soviet style…

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    Underfloor heating

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    The renovation of our house has seen a major transformation. Walls removed, chimney breasts and chimney gone and the ground floor dug down to some depth. We have checked with the architect and contractor and it will be possible to install underfloor heating. That’s in addition to insulation. We will…

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    The meaning of life

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    The final chapter of book 4 of my distance learning course raises some interesting ideas about the meaning of life. John Cottingham is one of the philosophers we are asked to study. His analysis of the doctrines and practices of both Western and Eastern religions is well thought out. Cottingham…

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