Monthly Archives: November 2015

A Tale of Three Tombs and the Irrelevance of Peer Review

Posted on November 28, 2015 by eternalidol

The most recent news update on the subject informs us that Egyptian officials – presumably from the Antiquities Ministry – are now 90% sure that there is a hidden chamber in Tutankhamun’s tomb. It seems likely that if this recess … Continue reading →

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Tim Daw, English Heritage and another Stonehenge Mystery

Posted on November 25, 2015 by eternalidol

In a brief post on his excellent Sarsen site, Tim Daw announces that he no longer works for English Heritage, adding that his erstwhile employers didn’t like him blogging about Stonehenge, so one cannot help wondering, “Why on Earth not?”

Posted in Current Affairs, Stonehenge | Tagged | 2 Comments

A Time and a Place for the Lord’s Prayer

Posted on November 22, 2015 by eternalidol

A few hours ago, my jaw dropped when I read about the furore concerning the Church of England’s #justpray advert and the refusal of the Digital Cinema Media agency to screen this advertisement in their cinemas. Before I read any … Continue reading →

Posted in Current Affairs | Tagged , , , , , | 3 Comments

The Ghost of a Flea – in the Flesh

Posted on November 21, 2015 by eternalidol

As I write this, my daughter Tanith is in London for a few days. I wasn’t expecting to hear from her, as I was confident she had far better things to do with her time, so I was surprised to … Continue reading →

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For the Parisians

Posted on November 14, 2015 by eternalidol

Late last night, I watched the news until it became unbearable, when footage appeared carrying with it the piercing screams of innocents in the extremes of fear and distress. Aside from voicing my sorrow for all those affected by last … Continue reading →

Posted in Current Affairs, Mourning | Tagged , , | 2 Comments

Boris, Israel and the concept of self-censorship

Posted on November 11, 2015 by eternalidol

A few days ago, when I was composing my post below on Charlie Hebdo, I was toying with the idea of including this link to a feature written by the philosopher Roger Scruton, but even though I thought the piece … Continue reading →

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224 Reasons Why I’m Not Charlie

Posted on November 9, 2015 by eternalidol

I hadn’t heard of Charlie Hebdo until the attack on the magazine’s headquarters in Paris earlier this year. I quickly learned that it was a satirical publication, so one of my first thoughts was that it might turn out to … Continue reading →

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Let Sleeping Dogs Lie

Posted on November 6, 2015 by eternalidol

I’ve loved fireworks and Bonfire Night ever since I was a child; the bigger, louder and more protracted the display, the better, while my propensity for these things is undoubtedly a reason why I enjoy Tchaikovsky’s 1812 Overture, V for … Continue reading →

Posted in Dead Poets, Diary | Tagged , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

Arachne’s Legacy

Posted on November 2, 2015 by eternalidol

Earlier today, I was sat outside my back door, enjoying the unseasonally warm weather and sunshine. As ever, I was instantly captivated by the vista, from the snails crawling over the wall in front of me, to the tangle of … Continue reading →

Posted in Current Affairs, Diary | Tagged , , , , | 8 Comments

All Saints’ Day

Posted on November 1, 2015 by eternalidol

All Saints’ Day and it’s hot as Hell With bleak grey clouds, and then there fell A creeping mist and shadows humid From which the cold and silver Moon hid: Tropics in our northern climes? An omen of our changing … Continue reading →

Posted in Current Affairs, Dead Poets, Writing | Tagged , , | 2 Comments