The Root Of All Evil
Couldn't last though, could it? Even after I went to bed after the previous entry, I still had to be woken up about 2pm by a phonecall from Graham. I'd expected to wake up naturally at least by midday, but for some reason, didn't. Anyway, Graham came over and we headed down to the restaurant. It was a nice meal, and better than the calvery at the Bridge House, which is what I really wanted to find out. I still prefer the location of the Bridge House though, even if their food isn't as good. The chocolate fudge caek (for which I've developed a habbit of ordering on sight) that we had afterwards was especially good. It's so close to my house, I'd even walk down there just for that. I can't believe I've lived here for about fourteen years, but never been there until now. I suppose I never even knew of the Northbourne side of the area until a couple of years ago, when I had to start finding my own way into Bournemouth. Now I much prefer going 'round the back' via New Road than the more 'traditional' route down The Broadway.
I think we may have stayed a little too long though, because we only got back to my house close to 5pm, at which time Graham was supposed to start work at TK Maxx. I had known this, but it looked like we still had plenty of time - seems thirty minutes or so evapourated when I wasn't looking. Hope it didn't make him too late.
Then last night, everything fell back to how it was before. I stayed up until 7am, went to bed, and today got up at 7pm. Tux did I have some good dreams though. Every one of them was a false story of Shanna staying here in the summer - that is the time and reasoning were the same, but the things that happened, didn't. Made me quite thoughtful, especially considering my slightly... malevolent attitude lately. Made me question whether I was right or not, at least. I realise though, that it doesn't really matter either way; the path of the next six monthgs or so is fairly inflexible and nothing I think is really going to make any difference to it.
The reason I was up so long though, was because I was reading about immigration law. I've done so before, but at once source at a time and not really understanding much of what seemed to me quite self-contradictory requirements. This time though, thought it was time to make the effort to do proper, cross-referenced research. And Tux what an effort it is - the information is scattered all over the place, all inter-dependant and so nothing makes sense unless you've read the other million 'related' documents. After six hours I've got enough of a summary, with quoted references to sources, to understand at least what the hell we're supposed to do to get started. Even so, I've contacted the Immigration and Nationality Directorate to confirm all of it - any mistake would not help our case at all.
Today was okay though, what little of it I was awake for. I thought I'd make sure I hadn't lost any skill with my right hand, since I've still got the mouse switched to the left, and played Unreal Tournament for a bit. I did have a go playing it with the left too, but I was... well, crap. It wasn't to do with accuracy though; obviously using the mouse with my left hand for a couple of weeks now has developed my precision, but it hasn't helped much in developing any coordination - I'm using the same 'controlling method' as I did before, just it's directed to my opposite hand. Whilst playing UT though, I'm used to having my left hand handle movement and the right handle aiming. To be a good played, running in straight lines is out of the question so a lot of skillful movement is required, most of which features moving and aiming in opposing directions, to keep facing a target whilst moving away from it. Now that the functions of each hand were suddenly swapped, I couldn't manage this at all, and kept going the wrong way with both. This led to me intending one move, and ending up actually performing the mirror image of it in practice, which was extremely confusing.
Then tonight I watched a programme I recorded from Channel 4 the last two weeks, called 'The Root Of All Evil'. It had my attention right from the trailers showing in the week prior to it's showing, where the presenter Richard Dawkins, a professor at Oxford University, states quite plainly that we should 'reject all religions'. I wasn't disappointed, and though I'd been expecting a little bias, there was not much at all - I think the case was very fairly presented. The only complaint I could make was that I think on one or too occasions he deliberately provoked some argument when it could have been avoided, but some of the responses he got are truly astounding... it's hard to believe that these people really, truly believe in what they are saying. I've always thought that religion, in general, causes more harm to humanity than it does good. I know in every case this isn't true, but as Dawkins said, it's not the beliefs themselves which are objectionable, it's when people start using them as justification for evil. It's the way in which faith is by definition not reliant upon any supporting evidence which is extremely dangerous. The programme actually got me quite worried, as it seems the situation is much worse than I had thought. He compared it to a virus, which infects our children whilst they are weak and impressionable. This is think is the most important point of all; I disagree with religion, but I'm tolerant of it. However, it is indeed a completely undefendable behaviour that we label our children by the faith of their parents. It's at this time, when we are young, that free thinking and the desire to question and challenge what we learn until we are satisfied is at it's most important. 'Faith', because of it's very nature, destroys this. If an adult chooses to subscribe to a particular belief, good for them, but if something is taught consistently to young children they will grow believing that it is unquestionably the truth. That might be what you want, but who are you to make that decision for them?
I could go on for pages and pages about all of this, but I fear it would serve little purpose. If I find sufficient time one day, I may actually transcribe the programme into writing. I congratulate Channel 4 for showing something bound to be contraversial, but which needed to be said. Knowing that England is one of the more liberal countries of the world in terms of freedom of speech, and not particularly strong in any religion (I don't know a single person who believes in a God here, and our minorities, although growing, are still only around 10% of our population) I do wonder what kind of reaction it would have got in less tolerant societies.
I think we may have stayed a little too long though, because we only got back to my house close to 5pm, at which time Graham was supposed to start work at TK Maxx. I had known this, but it looked like we still had plenty of time - seems thirty minutes or so evapourated when I wasn't looking. Hope it didn't make him too late.
Then last night, everything fell back to how it was before. I stayed up until 7am, went to bed, and today got up at 7pm. Tux did I have some good dreams though. Every one of them was a false story of Shanna staying here in the summer - that is the time and reasoning were the same, but the things that happened, didn't. Made me quite thoughtful, especially considering my slightly... malevolent attitude lately. Made me question whether I was right or not, at least. I realise though, that it doesn't really matter either way; the path of the next six monthgs or so is fairly inflexible and nothing I think is really going to make any difference to it.
The reason I was up so long though, was because I was reading about immigration law. I've done so before, but at once source at a time and not really understanding much of what seemed to me quite self-contradictory requirements. This time though, thought it was time to make the effort to do proper, cross-referenced research. And Tux what an effort it is - the information is scattered all over the place, all inter-dependant and so nothing makes sense unless you've read the other million 'related' documents. After six hours I've got enough of a summary, with quoted references to sources, to understand at least what the hell we're supposed to do to get started. Even so, I've contacted the Immigration and Nationality Directorate to confirm all of it - any mistake would not help our case at all.
Today was okay though, what little of it I was awake for. I thought I'd make sure I hadn't lost any skill with my right hand, since I've still got the mouse switched to the left, and played Unreal Tournament for a bit. I did have a go playing it with the left too, but I was... well, crap. It wasn't to do with accuracy though; obviously using the mouse with my left hand for a couple of weeks now has developed my precision, but it hasn't helped much in developing any coordination - I'm using the same 'controlling method' as I did before, just it's directed to my opposite hand. Whilst playing UT though, I'm used to having my left hand handle movement and the right handle aiming. To be a good played, running in straight lines is out of the question so a lot of skillful movement is required, most of which features moving and aiming in opposing directions, to keep facing a target whilst moving away from it. Now that the functions of each hand were suddenly swapped, I couldn't manage this at all, and kept going the wrong way with both. This led to me intending one move, and ending up actually performing the mirror image of it in practice, which was extremely confusing.
Then tonight I watched a programme I recorded from Channel 4 the last two weeks, called 'The Root Of All Evil'. It had my attention right from the trailers showing in the week prior to it's showing, where the presenter Richard Dawkins, a professor at Oxford University, states quite plainly that we should 'reject all religions'. I wasn't disappointed, and though I'd been expecting a little bias, there was not much at all - I think the case was very fairly presented. The only complaint I could make was that I think on one or too occasions he deliberately provoked some argument when it could have been avoided, but some of the responses he got are truly astounding... it's hard to believe that these people really, truly believe in what they are saying. I've always thought that religion, in general, causes more harm to humanity than it does good. I know in every case this isn't true, but as Dawkins said, it's not the beliefs themselves which are objectionable, it's when people start using them as justification for evil. It's the way in which faith is by definition not reliant upon any supporting evidence which is extremely dangerous. The programme actually got me quite worried, as it seems the situation is much worse than I had thought. He compared it to a virus, which infects our children whilst they are weak and impressionable. This is think is the most important point of all; I disagree with religion, but I'm tolerant of it. However, it is indeed a completely undefendable behaviour that we label our children by the faith of their parents. It's at this time, when we are young, that free thinking and the desire to question and challenge what we learn until we are satisfied is at it's most important. 'Faith', because of it's very nature, destroys this. If an adult chooses to subscribe to a particular belief, good for them, but if something is taught consistently to young children they will grow believing that it is unquestionably the truth. That might be what you want, but who are you to make that decision for them?
I could go on for pages and pages about all of this, but I fear it would serve little purpose. If I find sufficient time one day, I may actually transcribe the programme into writing. I congratulate Channel 4 for showing something bound to be contraversial, but which needed to be said. Knowing that England is one of the more liberal countries of the world in terms of freedom of speech, and not particularly strong in any religion (I don't know a single person who believes in a God here, and our minorities, although growing, are still only around 10% of our population) I do wonder what kind of reaction it would have got in less tolerant societies.