Commandments

… Sort of.

NonStampCollector tackles the question of whether the biblical Ten Commandments are actually the basis of our laws and morals:

I enjoyed the video very much and should be watched by as many people as possible. It’s a heady mix of information and irreverent humour which should spice up any coffee break.

For my part, I don’t think either version of the commandments listed in the bible have much to do with the laws and morals that we live by today. Neither the covenant made in Exodus 34, or the one we’re more familiar with from Deuteronomy 5 give much moral guidance for today’s world, except for the latter’s obvious rulings about killing, stealing, bearing false witness and adultery. After all, the world of the present is a much more complex place than that of the fairly distant past.

Writing Views

I’ve now got a tumblr blog which I’m going to use to post stuff about the books I read and also about the stuff that I write. I’m going to have a go at self-publishing some ebooks, starting with a handful of short stories and hopefully building up to a magnificent octopus. When the ebooks in question are published, they’ll be available for download here in mobi and epub formats (which seem to be the most common formats used by ereaders).

I haven’t posted anything to tumblr just yet but I hope to be up and running with some thoughts on God Is Not Great by the late Christopher Hitchens very soon.

The Hands Of Doom

2 minutes to midnight
The hands that threaten doom

So goes the refrain of the Iron Maiden song 2 Minutes To Midnight and, whilst things are not so bleak as the rather grim lyrics of that song suggest, isn’t it nice to read news that the Doomsday Clock moves one minute closer to midnight.

Of course, this latest adjustment only moves the hands of that dread timepiece to 5 minutes to midnight. But I guess it is nice to know that particular relic of the cold war is still ticking – especially as one reason given for moving the clock forward is “the failure of multiple nations to control the spread of nuclear weapons”.

This is 2012, isn’t it?

Next up on the blast from the past jukebox? The very excellent Gillan play Mutually Assured Destruction.

From where I stand
I know just what they’re planning
I know they’re planning one big bang
And they call it Mutually Assured Destruction

Happy Days, eh?

Party

My wife, youngest daughter and I were among the 2,000 or so folk who turned out at Stornoway’s Hogmanay Street Party.

We really just went to check out the fireworks display and didn’t hang around for long after it. That said, the fireworks were very, very impressive and we were lucky enough to find ourselves in what amounted to a front row seat at centre stage. We found ourselves at the harbour gate, directly opposite the Woodlands Centre where the fireworks were launched from and so had a grandstand view of everything. It was so good that, although I don’t take many pictures these days, I wished I’d had a decent camera with me.

As we arrived at 9.30, the festivities had already kicked off but we heard one of the bands playing as we walked towards Bayhead and caught Fiona Martin’s set in full – apparently it was her first live show and, if that is the case, she nevertheless put in a very good performance. Perhaps we should have stayed to catch the act(s) appearing after the fireworks but by then the cold was taking it’s toll. And (perhaps more significantly) the cold beer and chilled wine in our fridge were calling us home.

The Stornoway Amenity Trust are to be given lots of gold stars and much kudos for putting on such a good show.

As for the alleged grumblings about the fireworks display not taking place at midnight because New Year’s Day was a Sunday and offence might be taken by some amongst the local faithful? Well, it would be a shame if this was true but I for one think its better to have these events during the earlier part of New Year’s Eve anyway. An earlier display makes it easier for families with young children to attend and for those who live further from Stornoway to come along. In effect you can have the best of both worlds – enjoy a cracking fireworks display then get back home in time for the traditional family gathering to welcome the New Year.

In the event that there is anyone out there whose religious convictions make them feel attendance at a Saturday night into Sunday morning event would risk their immortal soul or otherwise offend their almighty? Well an earlier start means they can see the show and be safely back home without spiritual risk.

After all, the more that can make it to these community events, the merrier they are for all.

New Year’s Day

All is quiet on New Year’s Day

So begins the song by U2. And it has been quiet on New Year’s Day here, if a little wet.

That didn’t prevent a nice long walk through the Castle Grounds and along the River Creed. Always a nice walk that, very picturesque and refreshing and a very good way to start the New Year. A year which, unlike the song, will see a few changes.

These changes will not be as dramatic as the events referred to by the song with it’s turbulent images of “a world in white”, “a blood red sky” and “gold [being] the reason for the wars we wage”. Though they will be pretty significant for this little household – when it moves to a much larger, newly built house sometime in summer.

Hopefully this year will also see an increase in both my input and output – I have a growing back log of books to read and also of stuff I want to write, not forgetting the stuff I want to learn to play on guitar, mandolin and (since Christmas) ukulele. And as ever, there are pounds to shed.

Looks like a busy year ahead.

And let’s hope it’s a happy one for one and all.

Happy New Year!