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Continue reading →: Trolleyed
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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Continue reading →: Established coffee
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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Continue reading →: It is written
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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Continue reading →: Nevus
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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Continue reading →: Freeloading Europe
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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Continue reading →: Underfloor heating
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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Continue reading →: The meaning of life
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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Continue reading →: Burgeoning dictatorships
If you are looking for signs of would-be dictators, see how their opposition is faring. As a role model, Putin is hard to beat, as Alexei Navalny found to his cost. Anyone hoping to become the sole ruler of their country should prepare to accuse opposition leaders of some treasonable…
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Continue reading →: Imperial Russia
How many people rule Russia? Putin’s war on democracy continues unabated. Propaganda, invasion and the oppression of its own people…where have we seen that before? Oh yes, Nazi Germany and Stalin’s Soviet Union, the totalitarian partnership that slaughtered millions. How long before Trump realises that every time Putin opens his…
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